Cravings Turn to Enjoyment - People Raised on a Farm Know That

 

Charlie Sue loves her outdoor dog friends, but comes in for a home cooked meal.

The so-called diet plans are a way to spend a lot of money on almost nothing. Each major fad has major downfalls. Many of our ailments come from poor choices and also some dangerous medicines. I nixxed the use of statins, supposedly for lowering cholesterol, but the solution was - walnuts, a handful a day. That is because a member got that from a doctor and passed the news along - with a bag of walnuts (no sugar, no salt). 

As I wrote before, I put them on a large bowl of vanilla ice cream. My cholesterol registered perfect, but my blood sugar continued its upward climb. 

These are expensive but worthless foods that I had to remove from my habits:

1. Ice cream - sugar, fat, and baby food for growing calves.
2. Pizza - bread, grease, salt, and cheese made from baby food for growing calves.
3. McDonalds - guaranteed to be worthless, loaded with white bread, cheese, salt, and grease.
4. Large-sized bread enhanced with butter.
5. All forms of cheese made with fat, salt, and baby food for growing calves.
6. Snack foods - mostly salt and grease. Cookies - plenty of sugar and white flour.
7. Eggs - plenty of fat, choline (boo!) enhanced with butter and bread.
8. Healthy juices - hahahahahahahahahaha! Delicious, fattening, sugar syrup.

Notice that we spend an enormous amount of money on the manufactured foods above.

Below are the simple, nutritious foods, which replace our bad habits and heal many disorders (but not all). The only good test for health is the blood panel, which tests cholesterol, blood sugar, kidney function, etc. Blood pressure requires a cuff, which can be used at home. 

The medicinal value of these foods comes from the Lord of Creation Himself. Their values are just the opposite of our sugar-fat-salt habits.

Greens - 

Dirt Cheap, Low Calories, Low Fat, Loaded with Nutrition

Seven-day habit - I always use generous portions in our luncheon stew. The famous greens are Kale (beats all the rest), Collards (not just for athletes anymore), Turnip Greens, and Spinach. 

Beans,

Protein, Fiber, Vitamins, Dirt Cheap

Beans are very satisfying, but the shopper must look for salt content on cans, ranging from very low to 1000 mg per serving. I like Cicero Beans (chick peas), without olive oil and salt (humus). Fiber is not a joke, but essential in slowing down and maximizing nutritional value. 

Vegetables and Mushrooms,

Frozen, Colorful, Satisfying, A Great Mix of Benefits.

Mushrooms have no fat, no salt, but are powerful with anti-cancer benefits. Mushrooms can also offer Vitamin D. My favorite and colorful frozen vegetables are onions/peppers, lima beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and packets of varieties (California mix). I liked sliced carrots frozen but I seldom see them. But mixing these we obtain a wonderful combination of healing substances. Just use "nutritional value of...at healthline - for summaries).

Fresh Fruits

All Day Desserts without the Sugar, Salt, Fat

No juices! Hunger cries out - I want energy now! The problem with sugar-based commodities is their instant jolt and later droop. The value is eating the whole fruit, which has countless ingredients, and their fiber slows down sugars and the rush to the exit. 

A solution for a dessert is to end a good meal with one large, perfect apple (compare it to a dessert from a restaurant, often a thawed out delivered sweet, costing $7 to $10). A regular meal can be replaced by two giant apples eaten slowly - good for the teeth, digestion, fiber, and hunger. I love apples, oranges, bananas, and blueberries. Charlie Sue loves them, all except oranges (so far).

Bananas are not exactly loaded with potassium, but prunes have the highest rating of all in potassium.

The nutrition experts aim at four - or more - fruits a day. Their overall claim is that a mix of good foods combine the best of what we need daily. Charlie and I share one sausage each day.

Nuts, Seeds, and Spices -

The Inexpensive Cook

Walnuts and almonds are heavily favored for cholesterol reduction. Flax seed (ground) is inexpensive and can be added to various foods. I use it for lunch and supper. Nuts and seeds seem to fill in a gap in our nutrition. Spices are sometimes listed (Anise seeds) for nutrition and taste.

Fast food and prepared food are salted up to make them taste better. Spices give us a chance to add small amounts of spices and seeds to what we are eating. I added ground mustard to improve the nutrition of kale and collards (Dr.Michael Greger). I provided too much and Charlie said "No way!" to the stew. I mailed it to a toxic waste facility. More on spices at a later time.

Valparaiso University in Crisis - Starting with Proposed Sale of Paintings, Which Are Hidden But Unsold

 

Mountain Landscape by Frederic Edwin Church

Valparaiso's decline began with a possible $20 million sale of three paintings, donated to the school.

A loud national uproar responded with questions about selling the art to pay for two Valpo dorms being renovated. Likewise, some of us have wondered about the obsession of building unaffordable gyms (Martin Luther OJ College and Bethany Lutheran OJ College) to attract more better students. The ELS and WELS professors are supposed to be synodical buddies, so why would they plunk down $30 million for two gyms within 35 miles of each other?

The paintings are now in a secure and undisclosed place. Lawyers are on full alert. Selling paintings for dorm improvements seems to be ludicrous, but removing theology from a soi-disant Lutheran school (Valpo) is pathetic.

An Indiana University’s Plan Sell $10M. Worth of Art to Fund Dorm Renovations Overcomes Legal Hurdle

In 1953, the donor trust agreement made between collector Percy H. Sloan, who donated nearly 400 works to the university including 276 by his father artist Junius Sloan, and Valparaiso University stipulated that “the collection shall be open to the public generally during … reasonable hours…; it being the intention of the parties to make the benefits of this collection available to all persons.” Though it required pieces from Sloan’s collection to be on view in a dedicated space, it made no clear provisions on the future sale of any of the artworks in the gift.

In a statement, Valparaiso University president Jose D. Padilla said that the plan “is consistent with the donor’s intent in that it will result in more students on campus and more students able to appreciate the art displayed at the university.”

But, but, but - trading paintings for a newly painted dorm or two is not consistent with the concept of a university.

Valpo's history is worthy of a small book. The new president, Jose Padilla, is a Roman Catholic. As of February 2024, the paintings remain unsold.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Laetare - Fourth Sunday in Lent - "Secondly, he gives an example of great love, and he does this in many ways."

 

Complete Sermon ->Luther's Sermons - John 6:1-15.
Laetare. Fourth Sunday in Lent

KJV John 6:1-15 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

I. THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND.

1. In today’s Gospel Christ gives us another lesson in faith, that we should not be over-anxious about our daily bread and our temporal existence, and stirs us up by means of a miracle; as though to say by his act what he says by his words in Matthew 6:33: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” For here we see, since the people followed Christ for the sake of God’s Word and the signs, and thus sought the Kingdom of God, he did not forsake them but richly fed them. He hereby also shows that, rather than those who seek the Kingdom of God should suffer need, the grass in the desert would become wheat, or a crumb of bread would be turned into a thousand loaves; or a morsel of bread would feed as many people and just as satisfactorily as a thousand loaves; in order that the words in Matthew 4:4 might stand firm, that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” And to confirm these words Christ is the first to be concerned about the people, as to what they should eat, and asks Philip, before they complain or ask him; so that we may indeed let him care for us, remembering that he cares more and sooner for us than we do for ourselves.

2. Secondly, he gives an example of great love, and he does this in many ways. First, in that he lets not only the pious, who followed him because of the signs and the Word, enjoy the food; but also the slaves of appetite, who only eat and drink, and seek in him temporal honor; as follows later when they disputed with him at Capernaum about the food, and he said to them in John 6:26: “Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves,” etc., also because they desired to make him king; thus here also he lets his sun shine on the evil and the good, Matthew 5:45.

Secondly, in that he bears with the rudeness and weak faith of his disciples in such a friendly manner. For that he tests Philip, who thus comes with his reason, and Andrew speaks so childishly on the subject, all is done to bring to light the imperfections of the disciples, and on the contrary to set forth his love and dealings with them in a more beautiful and loving light, to encourage us to believe in him, and to give us an example to do likewise; as the members of our body and all God’s creatures in their relation to one another teach us. For these are full of love, so that one bears with the other, helps and preserves what God has created.

Oculi -The Third Sunday in Lent.

Bethany Lutheran Church

 ->The Zoom Link Is Here<-

The Hymn #175      When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

 Introit

Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord: 

for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn Thee unto me and have mercy upon me: 

for I am desolate and afflicted.

Psalm. Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul: 

O my God, I trust in Thee; let me not be ashamed.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

We beseech Thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires 

of Thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of Thy majesty 

to be our defense against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ, 

Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual             Ephesians 5:1-9
The Gospel                                 Luke 11:14-28
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #376                         Rock of Ages

                      The End Game

The Hymn #315:1-5          I Come O Savior To Thy Table

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #568                  We Praise Thee O God        

    

Prayers and Announcements

• Treatment and recovery - Randy Anderson - hospital, Pastor Jim Shrader, Lori Howell, Sarah Buck, Kermit Way.
• If Zoom "recording" still does not work, another expert will be brought in.
• Wednesday - Vespers at 7 PM.  

Norma A. Boeckler

KJV Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

KJV Luke 11:14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Third Sunday in Lent

Lord God, heavenly Father, who hast sent Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh, that He might overcome the devil, and defend us poor sinners against the adversary: We give thanks unto Thee for Thy merciful help, and we beseech Thee to attend us with Thy grace in all temptations, to preserve us from carnal security, and by Thy Holy Spirit to keep us in Thy word and Thy fear, that unto the end we may be delivered from the enemy, and obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The End Game

KJV Luke 11:14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

KJV Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

Being unable to speak is not rare. Medicine can cause a stroke; our area has a regional center for strokes. He had multiple problems, and Jesus, the Great Physician, healed this man. The crowd was filled with wonder. Wherever there is faith in the Savior, there is also opposition. Some in the crowd said, Satan's power is behind this healing!

16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house against a house falleth.

This is like the miraculous feeding of the multitude, where one great miracle of feeding led people to demand another miracle from heaven, as if their own feeding in the desert was not the great wonder they experienced for themselves. "A sign" is not meant to be a hint or a nudge, but we have watered down that phrase "a sign" to make it almost meaningless. Example - "A postcard came - it was a sign from heaven, I'm sure." Jesus knew the thoughts of people, as He does today, and that led to His warning - A kingdom divided is ruined, and a house divided falls.

Luther wrote:

By this act Christ draws us to himself, leads us to look to him for every blessing, and to go to him in every time of need. He does this that we also, according to the nature of love, should do unto others as he does unto us.

18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

If someone wants to observe Satanic hatred, only a nudge toward the Scriptures or basic Christian doctrine is needed. The extreme liberal ELCA pastors and bishops found that out when an even more extreme group united against them to take away the clout of the not-extreme-enough radicals. But there must be a far more extreme faction, because the demands continue. It is no good to mark off a stopping point, because that has been done many times already.

The beauty of the King James Version is its steadfast language. A few words are ancient but easily looked up - leasing means "lying, false witness, deceit, hypocrisy, artifice, empty talk, frivolity, laxity.” What we really know comes from the context of the language, so the mischief-makers are always changing the meaning. Even worse, they challenge any traditional meaning of those words, which hearken back to their original use. Some of us began in a Biblical age, when the US Constitution reflected the divine origins and the meaning of law. The 10 Commandments could be framed on the teacher's wall, and Christmas carols were sung to a packed audience of teachers and parents.

So Jesus challenged the critics to make sense out of their claims. If He was possessed by Satan, how could He as Satan cast out Satan? 

19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Rabbis were known to be healers, so Jesus challenged them about whether their sons would be Satanic. Jesus was addressing whether the next generation would be godly or divided. Jesus' claim is very clear - and often ridiculed - The Kingdom of God has come upon you, because I cast out demons through the power of God. Verse 20 is saying - You are all going to be part of the revealed Kingdom of God, whether you believe it or not.

Luther:

What then were these blasphemers able to say to such clear arguments? They were put to silence, but their hearts were hardened, so that they did not heed his words. A hardened heart will not be instructed, no matter how plainly and clearly the truth is presented; but the faith of the righteous is strengthened when they see that the ground of their faith is right and good. And for the sake of such we must answer those whose hearts are hardened, and put them to silence.

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

At first this little parable seems to be confusing, but that is the point. Jesus did not teach for every single one, but for the believers. The strong man is Satan. His power and authority continued until the public ministry of Jesus began. The Son of God was stronger and overcame Satan by the cross and resurrection. The tiny band of apostles became the earthly ambassadors of the Gospel and continued in the miracle working of Jesus and His Gospel.

23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

There is no middle ground. Many ministers find an easy way to live and by being so accommodating to fashion or movements, they end up being against Christ. Neutrality is not possible - a person is on one side or the other, Satan or the Messiah.

24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

I have seen this take place, more than once. Someone gets away from the grip of gambling, or drugs, or alcohol abuse, and more. He is happy and goes back to work. This parable gives the perspective of the unclean spirit, so it is puzzling at first, but with renewed study, it is ironic that the unclean spirit goes back home to haunt someone's life. The unclean spirit finds the repentant tidied up and in good shape again.

And this applies to whole world. As Luther says, the unclean spirits latched onto the Vatican and its fake, unhealthy dogma -

Luther:

When Christ had become known in the world and the devil’s former kingdom with its idol worship had been destroyed, he adopted another plan and attacked us with heresy and introduced and established the papacy, in which Christ was entirely forgotten, and men became worse heathen under the name of Christ than before he was preached, as we can see now with our own eyes.

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

The Word of Jesus, spoken about His mother, shows the highest respect, but He did not promote the elevation of Mary into a divine. I found two things in working through these issues at a Vatican owned library, near our parsonage in Columbus. One was the beautifully written passages about Roman Catholic doctrine, page after page - nothing wrong at all. But two - there were inevitable landmines planted here and there, so the Gospel was destroyed entirely. I find dreamy ex-Lutheran pastors trying to feast on what is generously offered by Rome, for good reasons. When Lutherans began to be ashamed of Reformation doctrine, they found themselves easy targets for propagandists.

When LCMS-AELC-LCA Pastor Richard Neuhaus had lunch with the Pope, he was a Roman Catholic priest. I captioned it "Neuhaus has lunch with the Antichrist." He found that amusing. When I talked to him at the Ad Fontes gathering, I mentioned to him that I heard his very conservative father preach on Easter Sunday in Canada. Ad Fontes was organized to gather Lutherans to Rome. I told him, "We are already Fontes (at the Font - the Gospel) and not on the way to your font."

There should be no confusion and no compromise. There is only one Truth, the revealed Truth of the apostolic Scriptures (KJV). Compromising is the easy way, but sticking to God's Truth is the eternal Way, Truth, and the Life.

The end

Universities and Colleges Turned into Edsels in a Few Decades

 

 Edsel quickly became a joke.

Some of us saw the shrinking of higher education coming long ago. One cause was the student loan program, which made it easy to earn a degree, creating more supply than demand. 

Universities and colleges were able to expand - in population, buildings, and programs - because of the money flowing in from the loan programs. Schools could get even fancier with alumni gifts. Endowments did not ease the burden of tuition costs, so some suggest that the richest schools have become trust funds with a campus, kids, and profs serving as a side venture.

Denominations started with schools dedicated to teaching their children in specific areas. My mother took 10 years to finish her bachelor's degree at Augustana College, taking night school to earn a MA in education. 

ELCA went completely woke at its 2009 convention, when the rules were reversed for pastors. The failing seminaries in ELCA were scaled down so they could maintain some dignity in the midst of reducing everything. 

Mergers became popular - or a necessity. WELS combined Dr. Martin Luther College with Northwestern College to become Martin Luther College School of Ministry. All the women at MLC are ministers now - didn't see that coming? 

ELCA turned Gettysburg and Philadelphia into United Lutheran Seminary,  but their new lady president was not woke enough for them.

The next decade will have many colleges, seminaries, and universities sheltering in place, trying to keep their budgets in the black, their faculties passive, and their alumni wealthy.

Oh noes!

More "Oh Noes" Are Coming from Valporaiso

 

More information is here - https://www.valpo.edu/uplift-valpo/thrive-2/operational-sustainability/

From Matt Becker

Some elements in today's announcement did catch me and others by surprise. The proposal includes the elimination of tenure (even for those of us who have been tenured for decades [not sure they can do this, but that's in the proposal]), the establishment of one-year rolling contracts for all affected faculty (which means that any one of us could be told mid-year that our contract won't be renewed for next year), and the requirement (at least for me) to teach an additional course per semester at no additional pay. (I have been teaching a 3-3 load, and occasionally a 3-2 load, since I joined the faculty in 2004. The proposal requires a 4-4 teaching load for all affected faculty.)

It is not at all certain that the current theology requirement (two required 3-hr courses in the gen ed curriculum) will continue. The basic 200-level "Christian Tradition" course will likely continue, at least for a while, but the upper-division theo courses will likely go away. If that would happen, the dept would eventually disappear, since no prospective faculty member will want to come to an institution where they can't teach in their area of expertise and research. As theo faculty retire (or if their contracts are not renewed), those spots won't be filled. Who would want to join a dept if the university can only offer new faculty a one-year rolling contract, no tenure, no program per se, no support for research, just "service teaching" in the gen ed curriculum at a 4-4 level?

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Lent 3 - "Therefore it is necessary for us to watch as the apostles always admonish us, especially St. Peter, 1 Peter 5:3: “Brethren, be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”; for wherever he overthrows faith, he easily restores again all former vices."

 

"I Borage, give thee courage."

Complete Sermon - 

Luther's Sermons - Luke 11:14-23.
Oculi. Third Sunday in Lent

20. That he comes again and finds the house swept and garnished (Matthew adds “empty”) signifies that the man is sanctified and adorned with beautiful spiritual gifts, and that the evil spirit clearly sees that he can do nothing there with his familiar tricks, for he is too well known. Thus when the worship of idols was driven from the heathen, he never attacked the world with that device again. But what did he do then? He tried something else, went out, took with him seven spirits, more evil than himself, and entered in with them and dwelt there, and the last state of that man was worse than the first. So he has dealt with us. When Christ had become known in the world and the devil’s former kingdom with its idol worship had been destroyed, he adopted another plan and attacked us with heresy and introduced and established the papacy, in which Christ was entirely forgotten, and men became worse heathen under the name of Christ than before he was preached, as we can see now with our own eyes.

Such also was the lot of the Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the Greeks under the Turks. And so all will fare, who at first hear the Word of God and afterwards become secure and weary of it. St. Matthew says, in Matthew 12:14, that Satan finds the house empty. And in Matthew 13:25, he sowed tares among the wheat, by night, while men slept. Therefore it is necessary for us to watch as the apostles always admonish us, especially St. Peter in 1 Peter 5:3: “Brethren, be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”; for wherever he overthrows faith, he easily restores again all former vices.

Valparaiso University (somewhat Lutheran) Is Kicking Out Their Theology Major and Minor

https://t.e2ma.net/webview/g32bun/8a9a26f09e8335a53b15c0ad06317119.

Here is a letter that went out today. Apparently the theology department got the news just this morning.

Dear Friends -
 
I'm writing to give you a heads up about some news that you may hear coming out of Valpo today. Over the past year we have been going through a program review as part of our strategic planning process. Part of that review includes evaluating the number of majors we offer and the enrollment in each program.
 
The decision has been made to place a small number of programs into a program discontinuance process. The Theology major and minor are among those programs. You can find the full information here: https://t.e2ma.net/webview/g32bun/8a9a26f09e8335a53b15c0ad06317119.
 
This does not mean that the programs will definitely be discontinued. It also doesn't mean that Theology would disappear even if the major and miner were discontinued. All of our students have to take 2 or 3 Theology courses depending on their major. Regardless of final decisions, all current students enrolled in these programs will be able to finish their degrees at Valpo.
 
I wanted to let you know about this before you hear about it elsewhere. The campus community received an email at 11:30 AM. The affected departments were informed this morning.
 
Valpo remains committed to its Lutheran identity and faith-based mission to prepare students "to lead and serve in church and society." This is evidenced by the fact that we have the highest number of students we've ever had in our Allen Scholars program. This program helps students discern how they are called to live out their Christian vocations. Many of those students are discerning a call to ministry; all of them will be fantastic leaders in their congregations.
 
What can you do?
 
1.   Please pray for our community...particularly those who are directly affected by the cuts.
 
2.   Feel free to reach out to me and/or the President's office to express your feedback. My email address is brian.beckstrom@valpo.edu and you can email the President at president.admin@valpo.edu.
3.   Please pray for wisdom and guidance for the coming review process. After I learned about the affected programs on Tuesday, I felt a lot of emotions. Now I find myself asking, "What is God up to at this moment? How is God calling us to reimagine the way we prepare ministry leaders and help all our students to develop theological literacy?"
 
Thank you for your prayers and faithful service to the church. May you be filled with the hope of the resurrection even as we travel with Jesus this Lenten season through the darkest valleys.
Blessings,
Brian

From Daniel Lee Gard - Updates on the Ann Arbor and Mequon Dual College Arrangement

 

Daniel Lee Gard earned a PhD from Notre Dame, in theology.

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#111

Yesterday at 04:33:24 PM

This was received today:

Dear members of the Concordia community:

A special session of the CUWAA Board of Regents is taking place today in Wisconsin. Prayers continue to abound.

We will make any outcomes from their discussion public on Friday, March 1, 2024.

Here are the details for how you can access the outcomes:

    Update from Board Chairperson Rev. John Berg to be posted online at www.cuaa.edu/future
    Friday, March 1, 10 a.m. Central/11 a.m. Eastern

Please note that the link isn't live yet, but will be tomorrow!

List of LCMS Colleges Already Gone or Going

1. The Chinese campus was sold to pay down the LCMS college debt, as I recall.
2. The Selma campus was shut down.
3. The New York City campus was sold and another school took it over immediately.
4. The Portland college embroiled itself in HotChalk, with both sides going to court over the online learning dream gone sour.
5. The Ann Arbor and Mequon schools, separate but equal, are getting the publicity now. The new president of the arrangement, with a Jesuit degree, seems to be a closer, not a builder.

Every campus gets a big load of federal student loan money, and foreign students are called "walking bags of money." However, the gradual erosion of Lutheran identity and doctrine has made the colleges very much like the other schools that were almost 100% for the teachers and students.

Online students can be from anywhere, and there is nothing keeping students from bouncing from  campus to campus, via the keyboard. 

ELCA was closing down colleges and slimming seminaries years ago. WELS/ELS are thinking they might be in a Schwan song of their own. Marvin liked to spread the loot around, so his gifts were stretched out between the ELS, WELS, and who knows?  Those shiny new buildings, chapels, and gyms are looking bad, turning into Christian (Pilgrim's Progress, which nobody reads) carrying a heavy burden on his back - his sins.

My high school English teacher asked the class, "Have you read Pilgrim's Progress? If you haven't, you are IGNORANT!"