The Tree Was Slowly Killed by Cutting the Root - Just Like LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC(sic).

Link -

 The Concordia University System schools appear to be following this "trend":

• Concordia University-Wisconsin has their "Diversity and Belonging."
• Concordia University-Ann Arbor has their Office of Multicultural Engagement."
• Concordia University-Irvine holds a "Unity Week" with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coach, "Ms. Mo".
• Concordia University-Chicago has a course (EDU-6300 - Perspectives in Research and Literature Across all Grade Ranges) that includes using literature and research across all grades as "a basis for the promotion of diversity, equity and culturally responsive instruction."
• Concordia University-Nebraska has their "Acts 2 Commission" (a renamed Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity).

I posted long ago about the previous tenant of this house, now dubbed Ichabode III. He decided to cut the major root when pruning a small tree in the backyard. I slowly cleaned up the back and found that one small tree was wobbly. My neighbor across the fence said, "Do you know what happened? The guy before you cut the root. I told him that would kill it, but he did not listen." 

I told my father-in-law about the same disaster, when he cut the roots sticking out of the ground. He finally told me it died and had to be removed.

Children were not allowed to climb on my wobbly tree. The tree remained for years before falling over from a gentle push. Some roots survived but even the branches were dead and brittle.

Some entities will be able to use facilities, repurposed, soon enough.

Now - much too late - the crybabies are saying something must be done to keep their LCMS-WELS-ELS colleges alive. Nota bene - two new gymnasia are being completed - one for the ELS and one for WELS, about 35 miles away from each other.

The nation's colleges probably all imagined that online education would lift them up and give them more options for overpricing student tuition, board (?), books, and amenities. Everyone jumped on UOP's wagon and all were keen on educating a receding population. HotChalk (online services) and one LCMS are in the courts figuring out who wins.

ELCA colleges were tanking a few decades ago. Now it is time for LCMS-ELS-WELS to face the executioners. Church magazines went kaput too, even with Thrivent subsidies. The synods had their fun with the Campus Growth Movement, and it is failing.

The root cause is simple - faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, Teacher, miracle worker, Who healed the blind and deaf, raised the dead, and suffered torture and death to atone for the sins of the world, rising from the dead, ascending to Heaven, and governing His Church on the right hand of God.

ELCA is DOA, so let's ask about the Big Four above - LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC(sic). They collectively followed ELCA into the Slough of Despond, gathering their demographics, stunned with fear and alarm, gobbling the business trash - "robbing the Egyptians" - at Fuller Seminary.

The Big Four do not teach faith in Jesus Christ. Without faith in Jesus Christ, nothing good happens. The supposedly conservative managers (not leaders, no guts) are crying like the disciples in a storm, the wind howling, the sky black, the waves crashing and swamping the boat. 

They have made matters worse by creating their own Tower of Babel, a rainbow coalition of Scriptures. Some pastors who hate the NIV will use the ESV, which is like getting a better Edsel. The members and the youth may pick up on "Living" and "Amplified" Bibles, which are no better than badly written commentaries. The gay National Council of Unbelieving Churches have licensed the RSV, ESV, NRSV, etc. Everyone knows, anything goes.

Those who trust in Jesus Christ will be rewarded with many blessings. Lacking faith, they cannot even imagine the efficacy of the Word (an upcoming book). That is why Calvinists and Pietists succumb to the Unitarian-Universalist Creed.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Lent 2 - Syrophoenician Woman - "But see in this example how Christ like a hunter exercises and chases faith in his followers in order that it may become strong and firm."

 

 The Woman of Canaan by Michael Angelo Immenraet, 17th century

Complete Sermon Here - Reminiscere. Second Sunday in Lent. Matthew 15:21-28. The Faith of the Syrophoenician Woman

TEXT:

Matthew 15:21-28. And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanitish woman came out from those borders and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs. But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour.


1. This Gospel presents to us a true example of firm and perfect faith. For this woman endures and overcomes in three great and hard battles, and teaches us in a beautiful manner the true way and virtue of faith, namely, that it is a hearty trust in the grace and goodness of God as experienced and revealed through his Word. For St. Mark says, she heard some news about Jesus, Mark 7:25. What kind of news? Without doubt good news, and the good report that Christ was a pious man and cheerfully helped everybody. Such news about God is a true Gospel and a word of grace, out of which sprang the faith of this woman; for had she not believed, she would not have thus run after Christ etc. In like manner we have often heard how St. Paul in Romans 10:17 says that faith cometh by hearing, that the Word must go in advance and be the beginning of our salvation.

2. But how is it that many more have heard this good news concerning Christ, who have not followed him, and did not esteem it as good news?

Answer: The physician is helpful and welcome to the sick; the healthy have no use for him. But this woman felt her need, hence she followed the sweet scent, as is written in the Song of Solomon 1:3. In like manner Moses must precede and teach people to feel their sins in order that grace may be sweet and welcome to them. Therefore all is in vain, however friendly and lovely Christ may be pictured, if man is not first humbled by a knowledge of himself and he possesses no longing for Christ, as Mary’s Song says, “The hungry he hath filled with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away,” Luke 1:53. All this is spoken and written for the comfort of the distressed, the poor, the needy, the sinful, the despised, so that they may know in all times of need to whom to flee and where to seek comfort and help.

3. But see in this example how Christ like a hunter exercises and chases faith in his followers in order that it may become strong and firm. First when the woman follows him upon hearing of his fame and cries with assured confidence that he would according to his reputation deal mercifully with her, Christ certainly acts differently, as if to let her faith and good confidence be in vain and turn his good reputation into a lie, so that she could have thought: Is this the gracious, friendly man? or: Are these the good words, that I have heard spoken about him, upon which I have depended? It must not be true; he is my enemy and will not receive me; nevertheless he might speak a word and tell me that he will have nothing to do with me. Now he is as silent as a stone. Behold, this is a very hard rebuff, when God appears so earnest and angry and conceals his grace so high and deep; as those know so well, who feel and experience it in their hearts. Therefore she imagines he will not fulfill what he has spoken, and will let his Word be false; as it happened to the children of Israel at the Red Sea and to many other saints.

"Get Your Parties Started for Less"

 

"A Target superstore in West Virginia has shut down after a slipping hillside caused it collapse, tearing off one corner of the building. Shocking video shows a giant crack in the corner of the store in Barboursville where the ground beneath has given way, causing it to fall free."