Rolf Preus Has a Good Summary about Different Synods

 

Walther and Heiser: CFW made himself the Pope. Heiser made himself the Bishop.

Pastor Rolf Preus on LutherQuest

Now in in ELS, it's different. They follow the WELS doctrine of the church that places the synod above the pastors and congregations. When the synodical president demanded that I retract a paper I had written without showing me where I erred either in fact or in doctrine, my ELS congregation believed that I was duty bound to obey him because they thought he was my boss. He wasn't. But they believed he was, so they rescinded my call when I refused to obey him. That's how it works in the W/ELS. That's not how it works in the LCMS. Despite all of its flaws (and there are many!), in the LCMS the synod is advisory only. In the W/ELS, the synod is the boss. It appears to be that that's also the way it is in the LCR. These micro-synods tend to be quite authoritarian. Consider ELDoNA with their "bishop" Heiser. He's the man. In Missouri, we treat our DPs and the SP with respect, but we don't take orders from them.

The Joint Rolf-Jim Synod did not last very long.

Call in the WELS Church Growth Stars! - The Church of Rome Is Sinking As Fast As The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic)!

 

Think how much the Vatican could do for Thrivent, and Thrivent for them!

Catholic Faith: The End of the Italian Privilege

In figures, we go from 37.3% of the population attending Sunday Mass in 1993 to 23.7% in 2019—bearing in mind that declared attendance is always higher than actual attendance, which means that the actual figures are even lower. These are global figures—regardless of gender or age. The researcher also observes other new trends: for example, the growing disaffection of women for Mass, when traditionally, and particularly in Italy, they were seen as ‘pillars of the parish.’ Another worrying phenomenon is that older people, who were once known to return to the faith with age after a period away from the practice, are less and less returning to church. As a result, Sunday gatherings, hitherto dominated by women and the elderly, will soon be disappearing.

Devotees of The Dancing Word may have been a set-back.

The leader is below.

WELS has done worse, with a pastor cross-dressing in the pulpit - to illustrate the woman at the well. He became the head of one of the failing parts of the sect, because a DP was his dad.

Professor Diotallevi’s diagnosis is therefore very gloomy: soon, in Italy, attendance at Sunday Mass “will be reduced to a figure approaching 10% of the population, which in many parts of the country corresponds to an actual figure in the single digits.”

They are a team! Count on them! Glory in their success.

These guys are fix-it champions - the orans (angel) pose, clashing purples, bishop's hat, and Covid masks. 

Ichabod has a few answers to this threnody.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Second Sunday after Easter - "Accordingly, they should not be driven with rigor, but should be comforted, even though they are weak, lest they be driven to despair; and in time they will grow stronger."

 

Misericordias Domini. Second Sunday After Easter. John 10:11-16. Christ’s Office and Kingdom; or How Christ is the True Shepherd

11. Here you see that Christ’s kingdom is to be concerned about the weak, the sick, the broken, that he may help them. That is, indeed, a comforting declaration. The only trouble is that we do not realize our needs and infirmities. If we realized them, we would soon flee to him. But how did those shepherds act? They ruled with rigor, and applied God’s Law with great severity; and, moreover, they added their own commandments, as they still do, and when these were not fulfilled, they raved and condemned, so that they were driving and driving and exhorting and exacting, continually. That is no proper way to tend and keep souls, says Christ. He is no such shepherd as that; for no one is benefited, but is rather wholly undone, by such a course, as we shall presently hear. Now let us consider this citation from the prophet in its order.

12. First, he says: The sheep that are weak are to be strengthened; that is, consciences weak in faith and troubled in spirit and of tender disposition are not to be driven and told: You must do this. You must be strong. If you are weak, you are lost. That is not strengthening the weak. St. Paul, speaking to the Romans (Romans 14:1) says: “But him that is weak in faith receive ye, yet not for decision of scruples.” And shortly afterwards (Romans 15:1) he says: “Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.” Accordingly, they should not be driven with rigor, but should be comforted, even though they are weak, lest they be driven to despair; and in time they will grow stronger.

13. Isaiah, the prophet, speaks of Christ likewise (Isaiah 42:3): “A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench.” The bruised reeds are poor, tender consciences, which are easily distracted so that they tremble and despair of God. He does not fly at them then, and trample them under foot; that is not his way. But he deals with them gently, lest he break them to pieces. Again, the dimly burning wick, which still burns at least, though there be more smoke than fire there, he does not wholly quench, but lights, and again and again trims it. That is a great consolation, indeed, to such as experience it; and, therefore, he who does not deal gently with tender consciences is no good shepherd.

14. Secondly, the prophet says: “Neither have ye healed the sick.” Who are the sick? They are those who are manifestly deficient in certain of their works. The first clause has reference to tender consciences; the second, to outward conduct. As, for instance, when one growls and sulks, and now and then lapses, and in anger and other foolish ways oversteps the bounds; even as the apostles, at times, grievously stumbled. But even those who in their outward works before men manifest their shortcomings, so that people are offended at them and say that they are rude and peculiar, he will not cast away; for his kingdom here below is not so constituted as to embrace only the strong and the whole, as it will be in the life to come. Christ is sent here that he might receive and help just such people.