Delays Continue in the Bathtube Renovation Project

 

I wonder if The Faithless Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic), can spell Jakob Spener and explain how they fell into the Slough of Despond.

First I was hearing the schedule of Monday-Tuesday, which accomplished a lot. However, that was only half the project. Next is drywall and various other items, such as replacing some hardware. That is likely today, but not official. Likely things will be done today (drywall) and Friday (putting everything back together). I can put together two Reformation Seminary lectures on John either on Friday or Saturday, God willing.

I enjoy doing the lectures and appreciate your responses.

Fuerbringer - Walther's nephew - got it right. Notice that the date is five years before the disastrous Brief Statement of 1932, which included and welded Objective Justification into the Synodical Conference. Gausewitz' Small Catechism was published in 1927. 

"These presidential posts obviously received much attention when obituaries had to be written in 1927 for this outstanding leader in our Lutheran circles, who died suddenly in the Grace sacristy just before the Holy Communion service on Sept. 4. More important, however, then and especially later was the service Gausewitz rendered through work on the synodical Catechism. The first special Catechism project that engaged the attention of Carl Gausewitz was working on a Synodical Conference committee charged with the responsibility of editing Luther’s Small Catechism. The committee was busy at the turn of the century.13"

Carl Gausewitz: Church Man and Catechist
By Edward C. Fredrich

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 12 - "But it may effect this, that it will assist you to obtain a faith of your own, which will help you. Furthermore, even if Christ did die for us, and pledged and gave his body and life, blood and flesh for us, and became our advocate; yet it would avail nothing, unless we believe in him."

 

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Mark 7:31-37. 

Concerning Faith and Love

9. Therefore, by all means beware of the preachers whom you have often heard among the monks, who approach a dying person and say: “Behold, my brave fellow, do not despair; if you have committed sins, be sorry for them; but in order that you may fare so much the better, I will make you a present of my righteous life and my good works.” If now, the dying person accept such a gift, he is as much a fool as the other, and with all these works, he 'will go to the devil'. Therefore, beware of such consolation, and say: If you are willing to serve me with your good works, approach God and speak thus: O heavenly Father, by thy grace I am now believing; therefore, I pray thee, my God, give also unto this poor man a faith of his own. This might help me; but that you would give me your own faith, this you cannot do, neither would it help me. You will have enough to do to be saved by your own faith.

10. This you may see in the case of the foolish virgins, who, when their lamps went out, said unto the wise virgins: “Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out.” Then did the wise ones answer and say: “Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you.” Matthew 25:8-9. In that case I am in need even of more faith for myself; how then could I share it with another? For my own faith must stand before God’s judgment, and must fight so hard and cleave so firmly to God’s mercy, that the sweat will run down its face, if it is to prevail. That is the true meaning of St. Peter’s words, 1 Peter 4-18: “The righteous is scarcely saved, where then shall the ungodly appear?” For when death makes its onslaught, then such fear and agony will seize him, that he can scarcely with all his strength, stand for himself and be kept in faith. Hence it is greatly to be deplored that they have established so much deception, putting monks’ cowls upon the dead, and inventing other foolish things, by which they led poor souls straightway to perdition. Beware of them.

11. Now this I say, that you may know how far the faith of others may be of use to us, and how your own faith can help you. Other people’s merits will help you to attain a merit of your own, and nothing more. And though all the angels, yea, the mercy of God itself, were ready to stand for you, it would avail you nothing, unless you cleave unto it with a faith of your own. But it may effect this, that it will assist you to obtain a faith of your own, which will help you. Furthermore, even if Christ did die for us, and pledged and gave his body and life, blood and flesh for us, and became our advocate; yet it would avail nothing, unless we believe in him. But he can assist us in this way, that he appears before the Father and says: “O Father, this have I done for mankind; do thou give them faith, in order that they may enjoy it.” This then, will help us, if we feel assured that his works and merit are our own. In the same manner one should also speak of the other saints, that no saint’s intercession and merit avail unless we ourselves believe. You observe this also in our lesson. There lies the poor man, unable either to speak or to hear. They who bring him to the Lord can speak and hear. But they cannot make him speak by their hearing and speaking, and even though they all had come near him and said: “We will speak and hear for you”; yet he would, in spite of this, have remained speechless and deaf continually, and would never have been able to speak.