Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Lent 1 - "Christ rather followed the example of Moses, who fasted also forty days and nights, when he received the law of God on mount Sinai. Thus Christ also wished to fast when he was about to bring to us, and give expression to, the new law."

 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 4:1-11.
Invocavit. First Sunday in Lent

INVOCAVIT. FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT




TEXT: Matthew 4:1-11. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered. And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, if thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.


I. THE FASTING OF CHRIST.

1. This Gospel is read today at the beginning of Lent in order to picture before Christians the example of Christ, that they may rightly observe Lent, which has become mere mockery: first, because no one can follow this example and fast forty days and nights as Christ did without eating any food. Christ rather followed the example of Moses, who fasted also forty days and nights, when he received the law of God on mount Sinai. Thus Christ also wished to fast when he was about to bring to us, and give expression to, the new law. In the second place, Lent has become mere mockery because our fasting is a perversion and an institution of man. For although Christ did fast forty days, yet there is no word of his that he requires us to do the same and fast as he did. Indeed he did many other things, which he wishes us not to do; but whatever he calls us to do or leave undone, we should see to it that we have his Word to support our actions.

2. But the worst of all is that we have adopted and practiced fasting as a good work: not to bring our flesh into subjection; but, as a meritorious work before God, to atone for our sins and obtain grace. And it is this that has made our fasting a stench and so blasphemous and shameful, so that no drinking and eating, no gluttony and drunkenness, could have been as bad and foul. It would have been better had people been drunk day and night than to fast thus. Moreover, even if all had gone well and right, so that their fasting had been applied to the mortification of the flesh; but since it was not voluntary, and it was not left to each to do according to their own free will, but was compulsory by virtue of human commandment, and they did it unwillingly, it was all lost and to no purpose. I will not mention the many other evils as the consequences, as that pregnant mothers and their offspring, the sick and the weak, were thereby ruined, so that it might be called a fasting of Satan instead of a fasting unto holiness. Therefore we will carefully consider how this Gospel teaches us by the example of Christ what true fasting is.

3. The Scriptures present to us two kinds of true fasting: one, by which we try to bring the flesh into subjection to the spirit, of which St. Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians 6:5: “ In labors, in watchings, in fastings.” The other is that which we must bear patiently, and yet receive willingly because of our need and poverty, of which St. Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 4:11: “Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst,” and Christ in Matthew 9:15: “When the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast.” This kind of fasting Christ teaches us here while in the wilderness alone without anything to eat, and while he suffers his penury without murmuring. The first kind of fasting, one can end whenever he wills, and can satisfy it by food; but the other kind we must observe and bear until God himself changes it and satisfies us. Hence it is much more precious than the first, because it moves in greater faith.

4. This is also the reason that the Evangelist with great care places it first:

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, that he might there fast and be tempted, so that no one might imitate his example of their own choice and make of it a selfish, arbitrary, and pleasant fasting; but instead wait for the Spirit, who will send him enough fastings and temptations. For whoever, without being led by the Spirit, wantonly resorts to the danger of hunger or to any temptation, when it is truly a blessing of God that he can eat and drink and have other comforts, tempts God. We should not seek want and temptation, they will surely come of themselves; we ought then do our best and act honestly. The text reads: Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness; and not: Jesus himself chose to go into the wilderness. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:14. God gives his blessings for the purpose that we may use them with thanksgiving, and not that we may let them lie idle, and thus tempt him; for he wishes it, and forces us to fast by the Spirit or by a need which we cannot avoid.

5. This narrative, however, is written both for our instruction and admonition. First, for instruction, that we should know how Christ has served and helped us by his fasting, hunger, temptation and victory; also that who ever believes on Christ shall never suffer need, and that temptation shall never harm him; but we shall have enough in the midst of want and be safe in the midst of temptation; because his Lord and Head triumphed over these all in his behalf, and of this he is assured, as Christ says in John 16:33: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

God, who was able to nourish Christ forty days without any food, can nourish also his Christians.

Various Apostates Took Pokes at LSTC Here

 

This stunning, iconic, Gospel-centered edifice was perfect for selling to the University of Chicago. Its wide arms welcomed its neighborhood from the start, until they found it useful to close it off with the fourth section for the Leftist McCormick Presbyterian Seminary. Take a tour, if  the University unlocks the door, and imagine what it was like to have Seminex grace its sanctimonious classrooms.

Seminex Profs and the Downfall of LSTC and the ELCA

Colleagues,

On the Lutheran Forum website these days Crossings shows up in the conversation. The line is drawn back to Seminex, and that offbeat seminary, which closed shop in St. Louis way back in 1983, is portrayed as the villain that ruined the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 2009. I kid you not!

But it was not all of the Seminex community that did this. It was just ten of the professors, dismissed as false teachers by their mother church (Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod), who were then welcomed into the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (LSTC). Welcomed as an attractive treasure–but really a Trojan horse. For once inside the guarded citadel, these teachers stepped out to fling open the gates to liberal theology, especially its virulent anti-nomianism (=disrespect for God’s law), thereby eviscerating the “L” word in LSTC–and even more mind-boggling–decimating the entire ELCA! Once more, I kid you not.

What triggers this LF website extravaganza is the Fortress Press book by James Burkee: “Power, Politics and the Missouri Synod-A Conflict that Changed American Christianity.” Burkee has unearthed documents that expose the seamy side of the “Wars of Missouri” back in the 1970s. He tells all.

Robert Benne (prof at the ELCA’s Roanoke College, director of the Center for Religion and Society) was asked for a pre-publication blurb for the book, and that has led to what he’s now put on the LF website. It is Benne’s own version of what happened in Missouri in those days, culminating in the dire consequences that conflict had for the ELCA, consequences coming from the seminary-in-exile (Seminex) that came out of that Missouri Synod conflict.

Benne claims (see the citations below) that these Seminex profs, “refugees” who migrated to the LSTC, are the ones who did it. Namely, wrecked the ELCA. Their Trojan horse strategy first infected LSTC with anti-nomianism and its libertine ethics. Their venom then spread far and wide throughout ELCA leadership folks. So wide in fact that it finally succeeded in conning the majority of the delegates at ELCA assembly 2009–hundreds and hundreds of them–to say Yes on the homosexual-hot-potato when they should have said No.

Carl Braaten has said the same thing in the several pages he devotes to Seminex in his recently published autobiography. Braaten too portrays the Seminex profs who came to LSTC as the ones who swept the ELCA into thumbing its nose at God’s law. They engineered the anti-nomian takeover of the denomination.

The Seminex profs who came to LSTC in 1983 were Mark Bangert (Music and Liturgy), Paul Bauermeister (Pastoral Care), Robert Bertram (Systematic Theology), Bob Conrad (Christian Education), Bill Danker (Missiology), Frederick Danker (New Testament), David Deppe (Practical Theology), Kurt Hendel (Reformation History), Ralph Klein (Old Testament), Edgar Krentz (New Testament). By now some have died. So I asked those who remain–all but one of them retired–about the Benne/Braaten claim. Is it true?

So far two have responded. I have their permission to pass their words on to you. But first I’ll copy below some of Benne’s statements.

Peace and Joy!
Ed Schroeder

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Bob Benne’s words on the Luth. Forum website:

when I survey the damage done to the ELCA by the Seminex/AELC [=Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, LCMS congregations also dismissed from the LCMS during those days] leadership that migrated from Missouri to the church bureaucracies and seminaries of the ELCA. it has made a “long march though ELCA institutions” that has given a significant push to the ELCA’s journey to liberal Protestantism. the Missouri liberals lost one skirmish to powerful conservative insurgents in Missouri, but were crucial in winning another from powerless conservatives of the ELCA. Now they are free; they will have no more enemies from the right.The home-grown radicals of the LCA and ALC were joined by the Seminex/AELC contingent to overwhelm the staid old voices of the LCA and ALC. The latter didn’t have a chance against the young radicals. The “march through the institutions” radiated from Chicago to many synods, agencies, colleges, and seminaries. Just as I was leaving the Lutheran School of Theology in 1982, an interesting conversation took place in Carl Braaten’s Irving room. The question before the group was: in view of the demise of Seminex, how many of its professors should LSTC take? I argued that taking more than two or three would dramatically alter the seminary. LSTC wound up with over a half dozen, if not more. Before long they were the dominant faction.

the seminary’s faculty-led democratic tradition soon became a top-down chain of command, fully attributable to the new faculty. Their liberalism gradually pervaded the seminary. not one of the deployed former Seminex faculty wound up on the side of the traditionalists in the run-up to the Churchwide Assembly to 2009. Except for Paul Hinlicky, I cannot think of one theologian from the Seminex/AELC stream that did not support the revisionist pressures working within the ELCA. there is something about those Seminex/AELC types who have taken leadership positions in the seminaries, colleges, bureaucracies, and synods of the ELCA that has bent them toward the revisionist side. Was it because their tormentors were from the right and they could recognize no dangers from the left? Was it that they had become battle-hardened by earlier struggles and were very adept at maneuvering for power? Was it those German genes? Or was it because they were liberals from the very beginning. . . .?

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HENDEL

Dear Ed,While I have had a series of email conversations with Carl Braaten about the ELCA’s ministry decisions, I have never engaged him regarding the claim that he makes in his autobiography and which Benne is apparently repeating now.

I will not speak for my colleagues. They can obviously do that for themselves. In my teaching and preaching I have focused on the centrality of Christ and the gospel. While I have never espoused or promoted an antinomian position, I have stressed that the second use of the law is particularly crucial, both for the effective proclamation of the gospel and for our understanding the Lutheran heritage. I also explore the Formula of Concord’s third use of the law. I am clearly not denying the efficacy or necessity of the first use of the law by focusing especially on its chief function. As I affirm the significance of the law and its necessary dialectical relationship to the go spel, I do emphasize that the gospel is God’s ultimate good news to humanity. I have also stressed Luther’s insistence that the gospel is the hermeneutical key to Scripture and, hence, also of the law. None of this indicates that I am either a gospel-reductionist or an antinomian. Rather, I believe that I am faithful to the Lutheran understanding of the purpose and efficacy of Scripture, to the Lutheran confessional heritage and to Luther’s own faith convictions and theological method.

I really have no idea why Braaten ascribes so much influence to us in shaping the assumed heretical stances of LSTC or of the ELCA. We have, of course, taught at LSTC for a good number of years, and we have made our voices heard. We have also been active within the ELCA, but not in unusual or normative ways. I suspect, therefore, that leaders within the ELCA and our other colleagues at LSTC would describe our roles and impact in ways that differ significantly from Braaten’s assertions. I would hope, of course, that they would characterize our contributions in a much more positive way.

Bob Benne had, of course, already left LSTC by the time we arrived, and I do not think that he has engaged us or our theological perspective in any significant ways over the past quarter of a century. It may be, therefore, that his perspectives are shaped largely by Braaten’s.

I doubt that a response to Braaten or Benne will have a positive impact or change their perspectives.

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KLEIN

Dear Ed:Thanks, I think, for alerting me to Benne’s piece on the Forum website. That led to Hinlicky’s review, which I had seen before.

First, on the dissertation on LCMS to be published by Fortress. I read this piece several years ago since an electronic copy was making the rounds. It is a wondrous piece, but totally devoid of theology–by intention. Hence the absurd criticism by Benne that there was no theological defense by the moderates in Missouri is nonsense. This bloke teaches at Concordia Milwaukee and hence he had to avoid theology if he wanted to keep his job. The dirt he dug up and the connections to right wing political extremism are amazing.

Second, on how “we” took over LSTC. The ten of us have had an enormous impact on LSTC although we have not taken it over (and I promise not to take over the ELCA). I suspect that impartial observers would say that if anything the Seminex contingent was centrist at LSTC, at times even conservative. In the early 90s part of the faculty wanted to call Elizabeth Bettenhausen to the faculty and the other part wanted Reinhard Huetter. The issue was the Lutheranism of the two candidates, sadly lacking in the former, with Braaten strongly an advocate of Huetter, and I think all of the Seminex faculty voted with him. It was a long, drawn out battle, and the decision was finally to call Huetter on a non tenure track. Braaten was fed up with LSTC at that time and walked off in a huff.

Ironically, Seminex was his ally on this issue. Without Seminex Bettenhausen would surely have been called. Ironically, again, Huetter eventually left LSTC for Duke, where he became Roman Catholic! So much for his great Lutheranism.

Third, on the third use of the law [=ethical guidelines for the Christian life]. I still am affected by my Harvard mentors who saw the Decalogue at least as a guide to the redeemed. The top two professors were both Presbyterians. Of course 8 of the ten commandments name a specific thing you can’t do, leaving much of life to “living righteously” loving God and the neighbor, or faith active in love. E.g. all the sixth commandment prohibits is the sleeping with another person’s wife–hardly a comprehensive guide on sexuality. The only positive commands are the Third–rest on the Sabbath day, which none of us observes (however much we may honor preaching and the Word) and the 4th, which I think was addressed to adults and admonished them to care for the elderly–good news for our aged bad situations.

A classmate of mine recently attended a symposium at Concordia Seminary, Fort Wayne, and heard ELCA denounced for denying the third use in its sexuality decisions. The question before the ELCA house was what seven biblical passages meant back then and what help they might give us today in wrestling with homosexuality and other sexual issues. [Rejecting] Third use in the LCMS means–IMHO–that you don’t buy our legalism.

When the Concordia Seminary (St. Louis) presidency was vacant a few years ago, I offered myself as a candidate with a promise to bring back the good old days. Somehow that plan fizzled.

ELCA's Twin Boondoggles - Rental Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and LCMS' Craven Seminex. Only $200! to Suffer These Insufferable Bores

 

ELCA seminaries, fading faster than a July frost, are celebrating their victories.

LSTC - joined at the hip with McCormick Presbyterian Seminary - was so broke they had to leave their ugly building and rent from Roman Catholics.

Religious News Service

LSTC announces its Homecoming and Seminex 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of Legacy and Learning and Apostasy

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

February 12, 2024

By 

RNS Press Release Distribution Service

 ELCA bishops and the Presiding Bishop, who is on leave from her job for up to six months.

Get ready for an extraordinary event as the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) hosts a unique blend of Homecoming and commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Seminex from April 16-18, 2024. The event will take place both in person at LSTC’s new campus and online, offering participants a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This momentous occasion celebrates Christ Seminary-Seminex’s legacy of faith, education, and transformation with engaging sessions, insightful discussions, and reunions that promise an unforgettable experience.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of this historic event – register today and immerse yourself in the rich history and promising future of Seminex and LSTC. We eagerly anticipate welcoming you!

"Is Professor David Deppe coming to the shindig?" Seminex brought him along for the merger.  Read this link for an idea about how catastrophic Seminex was, even for the anything goes LSTC.

Event Highlights:

• Engaging Sessions: Explore thought-provoking discussions on theological diversity, academic freedom, and the impact of Seminex on American Lutheranism.
• Reunions: Connect with alumni, faculty, and friends for memorable reunions, sharing stories and experiences that have shaped the community over the past 50 years.
• Diverse Attendance Options: Choose from in-person, asynchronous, or virtual attendance packages to tailor your experience to your preferences and schedule.
• Special Speakers: Hear from distinguished presenters and speakers, including Bishop Yehiel Curry, Fred Niedner, Peter Marty, and Douglas Oakman, and more!

Conference Packages:

• Attending – In Person: $200! for live interactions, hands-on experiences, and immersion in the on-site energy of the event.
• Attending – Asynchronous: $150! for flexibility to access conference content at your own pace, accommodating individual schedules.
• Attending – Virtually: $100! for virtual participation, allowing attendees to join the conference from the comfort of their own space.

Additional Dinner Options:

• Dinner on Tuesday: $75 for networking and camaraderie over a delightful meal.
• Dinner on Wednesday: $35 for an additional opportunity to connect over dinner.

Event Schedule Highlights:

• Day One: Witnessing Christ, Alumni Awards, Reception, and Seminex 50 Year Grad and Homecoming Banquet Celebration with speaker Peter Marty.
• Day Two: Engage in sessions on Biblical Hermeneutics, Lutheran Confessional Heritage, Alumni Class Reunions, and Faith Active in Love. Enjoy dinner at Grace Lutheran and a Hymn Fest.
• Day Three: Explore sessions on Singing the Word, Witnessing Christ in a Multicultural and Multi-Religious World, and Closing Worship with Bishop Yehiel Curry.

Presenters:

• David Beckmann: David Beckmann, a prominent figure in the quest for justice, will lead discussions on faith actively expressed in love. Explore the role of the church in pursuing justice in both local communities and the world.

• Bishop Yehiel Curry: This years preaching minister, ELCA Bishop Yehiel Curry is a distinguished speaker, LSTC alum, and member of the LSTC board of directors.  Prior to his election as Bishop in 2019, Bishop Curry was a pastor at Shekinah Chapel Lutheran Church in Riverdale, IL (2013-2019), where previously he had worked as a mission developer (2007-2012).
• Kathryn Kleinhans: An esteemed presenter, Kathryn Kleinhans delves into the contemporary significance of the Lutheran confessional heritage. Her engaging sessions are sure to deepen your understanding of our theological roots.

• Peter W. Marty: Peter W. Marty serves as senior pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, a 3500-member congregation in Davenport, Iowa, and editor/publisher of The Christian Century, a journal devoted to shaping America’s conversation about religion and faith in public life. He writes a monthly column for the Century.

• Fred Niedner: Join Fred Niedner, a Senior Research Professor, as he shares insights from his extensive experience in biblical studies and Hebrew language. His contributions have been pivotal in shaping theological discussions.

• Douglas Oakman: Douglas E. Oakman, Professor Emeritus of Religion, brings a wealth of knowledge to our event. His expertise, particularly in biblical studies and social sciences, promises thought-provoking perspectives.

• Martin Seltz: Martin A. Seltz is a retired ELCA minister of word and sacrament. His insights into congregational resources and worship traditions offer a unique perspective on the intersection of faith and liturgy.
• James Thomas: James Thomas, known for his expertise in multicultural and multi-religious contexts, will explore witnessing Christ in a diverse world. Gain valuable insights into fostering understanding and unity in today’s global society.

Biographies for Seminex presenters and responders can be found on our website at LSTC.edu/Seminex.

LSTC Homecoming and Seminex 50th Anniversary is an event disorganized by the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Liz started her 4-6 month leave of absence in November, 2023. She hatched the egg that Bishop Mark Hanson laid, the 2009 vote.

God unanimously proscribed the 2009 vote.

Snow, Computers, and Nutrition

 

This is a sample of Dr. Michael Greger's website packed with easy to read or to video-watch a vast array of all aspects of nutrition.

Our latest blizzard has dropped several millimeters of snow. I have cleats for my shoes, just in case. A warming trend will start by 1 PM.

I used the Best Buy Geek Squad yesterday, because three of us on phones/computers could not unravel the way the settings are mixed up (and not by me, in case you wonder). Library and Chapel computers are identically messed up in the sound department settings. 

Two of the Best Buy experts "answered" on the phone, and when they could not figure it out, they lined up a helper who is visiting today. Tuesday! The repair guy from BB cannot get through the snow/ice in Bella Vista, so he is coming tomorrow.

Ruminating on the "what if," I ordered a refurbished computer for Ash Wednesday. I could get a spare after the Geek Squad too, on Tuesday.