When People Engage in Personal Attacks, They Are Disrespecting Most of the Readers of This Blog

LutherQueasy went off the rails for a few days, then returned to abnormal. Christian News managed to make defending Justification by Faith, WAM I and II seem eeeevuuul. Then, someone I do not know (not even a FB friend) began posting vague personal attacks after my blog post on the contradictions in Lutherdom.

Miles Whitener wish you hadn't gone off the deep end there, Greg

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Gregory L. Jackson Too many popes, Miles?

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Miles Whitener there are certainly plenty of them, greater and lesser - just say no, ok? you don't see that you've become a crank!

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Gregory L. Jackson Miles, that really grieves me that you have so little to do, so you yammer at someone you do not know. I doubt whether you read much of the blog or Luther. That is your loss. I count the name-calling as a singular honor since you have nothing substantive to say.

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Miles Whitener I do know you. Bizarre that you passed for an orthodox Lutheran at one time. I do think you have almost invented your own heresy. No, you have not even done that. Very sadly, almost nobody cares about CFWW any more, so they don't even know who you are talking about.

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Miles Whitener And by the way you only popped up because you dishonestly represented that you are "with" one of my friends. Creepy, man.

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Gregory L. Jackson Miles, you are very troubled. I have no idea what you are talking about or who you are. Someone who is a non-FB-friend and posts vague accusations is a guy who needs a real hobby at the very least.

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GJ - I am trying to figure out the heresy I invented - Justification by Faith? Is the Midwest so besotted with Stephan/Walther/Pieper that the Chief Article is a heresy I invented?

I would like these virtue-signaling Walterites and JPMeierites to simply say, "We love UOJ and we hate Justification by Faith, the efficacy of the Word, and the Means of Grace."

They want to wear the mantle of Lutheran when it is convenient, exactly like ELCA, and repudiate Luther's Biblical theology, in ways more subtle but more toxic than ELCA.

They also want all the benefits of Thrivent loot, the lukewarmness of ultra-mild Lutheranism, and the esteem of Belial - while ignoring the funding of ELCA, the ELCA-Thrivent love for abortion, and the pansexualism of the elite.

WELS-LCMS Works with ELCA All the Time - And Their Guru Mark and Avoid Jeske Funds Them via Thrivent

 Nadia Bolz-Weber is the ELCA pastor all apostates love.

https://www.exposingtheelca.com/exposed-blog/radical-groups-to-teach-kids-at-the-2018-elca-youth-gathering

Scott Barefoot and Time of Grace

 Start your own ministry in WELS.
Solicit true confessions about intimate subjects.

The ELCA describes "Interactive Learning" as "A 'Holy Playground' of sorts, that invites Gathering participants to encounter God through a variety of learning styles and sensory experiences. All 30,000 participants have a dedicated day in the three day program rotation to experience the extensive offerings inside the over 700,000 square feet Interactive Learning space.” (see here)

The “Interactive Learning” takes place in dozens of stations/booths/activity areas and you should be concerned over who the ELCA has decided will speak to and instruct your children, as well as the content that will be communicated.

One option the ELCA offers attendees is hosted by the ELCA church of the extremely troubling, ELCA youth gathering keynote speaker, Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber. The description provided is ridiculous:


“What I wish I’d known: Lessons on spirituality and sexuality
Take a break in a relaxing space and ask anonymous questions about sexuality. Participate in learning activities on consent, healthy relationships, birth-control methods, anatomy, boundaries, sexuality and spirituality. We are not teaching a particular values system about sexuality. Rather, this is answering questions with medically accurate information and helping youth determine how they form their values regarding sexuality.”


This group answering students questions is described in the ELCA materials:

“HFASS Denver - House for All Sinners and Saints (HFASS)
is a group of folks figuring out how to be a liturgical, Christo-centric, social justice-oriented, queer inclusive, incarnational, contemplative, irreverent, ancient-future church with a progressive but deeply rooted theological imagination. We are here to explore healthy and life-giving connections between spirituality and sexuality and answer teens' questions about sexuality.” (page 20)

Another “Interactive Learning” activity is hosted by an LGBT advocacy group, Reconciling Works. The 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering Guide Book tells us about it:

“God adores you!
Come and be part of sharing the news that God adores you just the way you are! Join in the affirmation and celebration of the diversity of people. Learn how to extend welcome and inclusion to LGBTQIA+
people in your congregation!

ReconcilingWorks - An independent Lutheran nonprofit that works for the full welcome, inclusion and celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQIA+) people in the Lutheran church. It is our vision that the church is a place where LGBTQ people and their families can worship and thrive, bringing all their God-given gifts to mission and ministry for the world.” (page 27)

The radical group #decolonizeLutheranism is interacting with the youth at their "Interactive Learning" activity:

“Bracelets of fortune: Identity and intersectionality in Scripture
and beyond.” Here the youth will learn the following:


“Scripture talks about how personal characteristics precious to us (e.g. gender, age, race, dis/ability) are often despised by others. What’s more, some of these characteristics overlap, making us even more
beautiful and vulnerable. Explore the lives of Bible characters and find how these crisscrossing identities impact us and those around us.

Here is the description of the group leading this session:

“#decolonizeLutheranism - We are a group of Lutherans across the spectrum of race and ethnicities, ages, gender expressions, sexualities and abilities who have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make our communities more welcoming of the diversity in them –
be those communities individual congregations or neighborhoods, cities and nations.” (page 27)

Other “Interactive Learning” experiences for the students include “Refugee integration obstacle course” and “People on the move: A migrant and refugee experience.”

And finally, why not indoctrinate the youth against the Jewish-state?  At the falsely titled booth/experience “Peace with justice in the Holy Land” the 30,000 young people will learn:

“What does life under military occupation look like? What is peace with justice? Hear from Palestinian youth from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, learn about the conflict in Israel and Palestine, and learn how you can help make a
change happen.”

It is put on by the ELCA, as a part of their “Peace Not Walls” campaign. (page 26) 

 God is so thankful for WELS - what would He do without them?

Headliners - Lutherans Concerned, North America

Headliners:

"Brett, this is my straight outfit."

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson


Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Mark S. Hanson will deliver the keynote address to the assembly, following the opening worship on Saturday, July 7, 2012.  This is the first time a presiding bishop of any denomination has delivered the keynote address at our assembly.

Mark S. Hanson has served as presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America since 2001. He was elected to a second six-year term in 2007. From 2003 until 2010, he was president of The Lutheran World Federation. He has traveled widely throughout the world, sharing a confident hope in God's promises and a vision of the joyful freedom in Christian community and mission.


Bible Study Leader
The Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber





"Nadia Bolz-Weber has probably done more than any other pastor in recent times to poke therapeutic fun at the misdemeanors and flaws of overly-churched Christianity and Christians. The passion behind her words, however, is as deeply pastoral as it is God-drenched and liberating....thus the affection as well as the respect that attend her and her work wherever she goes."

- Phylis Tickle author of "The Great Emergence"

Nadia Bolz-Weber is the founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints, an ELCA mission church in Denver, Colorado. She's a leading voice in the emerging church movement and her writing can be found in The Christian Century and Jim Wallis' God's Politics blog. She is author of "Salvation on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian Television"  (Seabury 2008) and the Sarcastic Lutheran blog.



'via Blog this'

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 21, 2009

Contact: Joel Hochmuth
Director of Communications
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
joel.hochmuth@wels.net


WELS president expresses regret at ELCA decision on gay clergy
Milwaukee, Wis.—Rev. Mark Schroeder, president of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), is expressing regret at the vote of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) convention regarding homosexual clergy. Friday, delegates approved a resolution committing the church to find a way for “people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships”  to serve as professional leaders of the church.

“To view same-sex relationships as acceptable to God is to place cultural viewpoint and human opinions above the clear Word of God,” says Schroeder. “The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, along with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and other smaller Lutheran synods, maintains and upholds the clear teaching of the Bible that homosexuality is not in keeping with God’s design and is sinful in God’s eyes.”

At the same time, Schroeder says WELS congregations stand ready to support those struggling with same-sex attractions. “As with any sin, it is the church’s responsibility to show love and compassion to sinners, not by condoning or justifying the sin, but by calling the sinner to repent and by assuring the sinner that there is full forgiveness in Jesus Christ,” Schroeder says.

WELS, with about 390,000 members and nearly 1,300 congregations nationwide, is the third largest Lutheran church body in the United States. In Wisconsin alone, there are more than 201,000 members and 417 congregations. “It’s unfortunate that many headlines have referred to the recent decisions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as something ‘Lutherans’ have decided,”  Schroeder says. “In fact, the ELCA is only one of many Lutheran denominations. We are saddened that a group with the name Lutheran would take another decisive step away from the clear teaching of the Bible, which was the foundation of the Lutheran Reformation.”

Schroeder says that WELS is firmly committed to upholding God’s design for marriage as outlined in Scripture—a design intended for one man and one woman. “We believe, and the Bible teaches, that God designed this relationship to be a blessing for men and women and for society. Any departure from what God himself has designed does two things: it denies the clear teachings of Scriptures and it undermines God’s desire that the man/woman relationship in marriage be a blessing.”

Bring Back the Martin Luther College version of Party in the USA

Remember This WELS, During the WELS Worship Conference at an ELCA College

An MLC sorority asks, "Can we be counselors? We watched Ma Vie en Rose 57 times."

ELCA camp experiences support gay youth

Recent teen and young adult suicides in New Jersey, Minnesota and Ohio brought the issue of bullying to the forefront and led to the "It Gets Better" video campaign. ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson and other Lutherans contributed videos, promising youth and young adults who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender that they have a place in the church and urging them to not give up.

GLBT youth are also supported by programs at ELCA congregations and at least three camps. The camp experiences are led by ELCA members and all three rent space from ELCA camps.

Started nine years ago in Minneapolis, The Naming Project is a drop-in program and summer camp. It was featured in the 2006 documentary Camp Out, and on the March 8 Our America episode hosted by Lisa Ling (The Oprah Winfrey Network). The camp, held July 24-29 this year on Bay Lake Camp, Deerwood, Minn., draws youth from across the country.

Wonderfully Made started after Camp Out was shown at the Philadelphia film festival and viewed by Claire Burkat, bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, and youth ministry specialist Molly Beck Dean. It will be held April 8-10 at Bear Creek Camp, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

The Spiritual Pride Project in Austin, Texas, began after a mother discovered there were no camps in the southern U.S. where her child's sexuality would be respected. In addition to offering a variety of resources, its spring retreat is April 1-3 at Lutherhill in LaGrange, Texas.

Two additional ministries that serve gay and lesbian youth throughout the year are The Lighthouse, Minnetonka, Minn., and the Louisville [Ky.] Youth Group.

The Lighthouse is a youth group that draws from more than eight high schools in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. It meets once a week at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Minnetonka. Louisville Youth Group, housed at First Lutheran Church, hosts Friday night programs and provides mentoring and leadership training.

Helping To Increase the Stampede Out the Doors - ELCA News Service

ELCA News Service

Paul Egertson, Former ELCA Synod Bishop, Professor and Advocate, Dies

    CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Dr. Paul W. Egertson, a former synod bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), college professor and advocate for full inclusion of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender in the life of the ELCA, died Jan. 5 after suffering a heart attack. Egertson, 75, died at his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

     A memorial service will be held Jan. 15 at California Lutheran University's Samuelson Chapel. The university, located in Thousand Oaks, is one of 26 ELCA colleges and universities.

     He served as bishop of the ELCA Southern California (West) Synod -- now called the ELCA Southwest California Synod -- from 1995 to 2001. He resigned as bishop after participating in the 2001 ordination of Anita C. Hill, who was not eligible at the time to be on the ELCA clergy roster. After his resignation, Egertson continued to advocate for change in ministry policies, which occurred after the decisions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

     Hill was formally received as an ELCA pastor in 2010 and serves at St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn.

     Egertson also served many years as a professor in the Religion Department at California Lutheran University. He was a full- and part-time teacher in the university's Religion Department since 1984, and was preparing to teach in the upcoming semester in his role as senior lecturer.

     The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said Egertson was doing what he loved to do -- "engaging students in a way that deepened their understanding, broadened their vision, sometimes challenging their convictions, but always trying to instill an unquenchable curiosity about faith and life."

     "I witnessed those same qualities when Paul was a member of the Conference of Bishops," Hanson said. "His deeply held passionate commitment to a church in which lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people are welcomed fully into mission, membership and leadership remains as a defining mark of his leadership." He added that Egertson and wife, Shirley, have been "loving, supportive parents and gracious in their hospitality."

      Emily Eastwood, executive director, Lutherans Concerned/North America, St. Paul, Minn., said Egertson "stood up" for people who were not eligible to serve as ELCA professional leaders. His witness and commitment "are a shining beacon of prophetic righteousness in the face of determined opposition, and he did it with grace and eloquence, as befits a follower of Christ," Eastwood said in a news release from Lutherans Concerned. "He was a friend and mentor -- always available, with words of calming wisdom. He made a profound difference. He will be missed."

      The Rev. Dean W. Nelson, bishop of the ELCA Southwest California Synod, said that in addition to his teaching duties at California Lutheran University, Egertson was a faithful parish pastor and committed to continuing education for pastors and lay members.

     "Much of his life was dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge on behalf of the faith both for rostered leaders and lay leaders," he said. "He did a Bible survey class for our very successful program called Equipping Leaders for Mission." The course was well-received by students, Nelson added.

     The Rev. Howard "Howie" E. Wennes, former bishop of the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod and former acting president of California Lutheran University, knew Egertson well, and is a first cousin. Egertson had a significant impact on many people through various ministries during his life, Wennes said.

     "Pastor and preacher, professor and prophet, bishop and servant leader -- take your pick," Wennes said. "In each role he made a deep impression on people's faith. He inspired faith with his preaching. He informed faith with his teaching. He modeled faith with his prophetic witness. For this gifted and dedicated man of faith we join in a chorus of 'Thanks Be to God.'"

     Egertson was born in Litchville, N.D. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1955 from Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, and a master of theology degree in 1960 from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, one of eight ELCA seminaries. In 1976 he earned a doctoral degree from the Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, Calif.

     Prior to his election as bishop, Egertson taught religion at California Lutheran University, and during that time, he served a shared-time appointment as pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, North Hollywood, Calif.

     For 13 years, Egertson was director of the Center for Theological Study, a continuing education program for Lutheran pastors at California Lutheran University. He also served as pastor at ELCA congregations in Lakewood, Calif., Las Vegas and Hollydale, Calif.

Anita Hill's ordination marked the beginning of the end.

      Egertson is survived by Shirley, a former teacher at California Lutheran University's Early Childhood Center, and their sons Gregory, Scot, Steven, Glen, Jon and Jordan.

Ignore the Spin from The Guilt Factory

We synod leaders are prepared to deal with
these issues eventually.
Look at how fierce and determined we are.
Isn't Jeske great?

What people claim is far from the truth.

Look at the results.

Read the un-answered letter from a WELS attorney at St. Peter's Freedom, Wisconsin.

Watch Jeske portray himself as WELS one minute, LCMS the next.

Observe Church and Changers dominating the colleges and seminary, the magazine no one reads, the preps and synod gatherings.

Plagiarism? Lots of pastors copy sermons in WELS. That is their defense. Therefore, they hire a plagiarist (Ski) to speak at evangelism events and the Willowcreek Chapel debacle.

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"Spiritualists believe in communication with the spirits of the departed and reject the Bible as the only source and norm of faith and life,as also the fundamentals of the Christian faith. The cult is pagan and ungodly in its theology, and its chief exercise-communication with the dead-is forbidden in the Bible."

Spiritists teach: "That the wicked will not suffer eternal damnation" "That all men after death enter into a better world" "That souls may be converted after death and before Judgement" "That any one may publicly teach in the Church without being duly called" "That Christ has not rendered satisfaction for mans sins, since such satisfaction is not needed" "That the Son of God did not assume , the second person of the Godhead, did not become incarnate" "That there is no personal devil" "That angels are spirits of departed men" "Taht the good angels are departed spirits taht have risen to a higher plane of development, while the evil angels are unholy and unhappy departed spirits" "That God is not triune" "That all that is not contained in the Scriptures is inspired, but that the holy writers were liable to error"

Yes, I borrowed those quotes without permission. Now I "could" try and contact J.T. Mueller, but according to his own statements, the Bible forbids all communication with the dead. Share d spirits! The only spirit I like to here about is The Holy Spirit! How much Theosophy has taken over the churches? This guest speaker seems to be ignoring God, which would make him guilty of Humanism.

Listen, many pastors, including those who do not follow the blogs, are dismayed at the antics of Mark Jeske. It is time for "somebody" so send another letter to the synod leadership.

In Christ,
from WELS church lady

Someone Has His Pull-Ups in a Knot

Andrew has left a new comment on your post "WELS and Other Lutherans:The Differences Explained...":

Dear Greg,

I do not doubt your intellect one bit, but could you please get a real domain like a man? Who uses blogs other than preteen girls talking about boys they like. Grow up and pay for a domain.

***

GJ - Dude, get real. Seriously. I have a domain and eleven or more blogs.

Grow up and stop sending anonymous messages where the ID is erased or broken. You are totally hiding something.

I have never read a preteen girl blog, but apparently you have read many. Most of my news reading is from blogs and similar sites. Try something written by adults for adults.

Everyone is laughing at you - for sure.

Fake Ichabod Posts Again

Profile picture, fake blogger.

The fake Ichabod got on his Mac for another post. How many pathetic, badly written blogs can one WELS pastor produce? Not many. He posts a little, quits, comes back, posts again, etc. The latest post sounds like another goodbye message, but one never knows.

He is very worked up about his precious UOJ being attacked. UOJ and Church Growth go together like measles and mumps.

The Anonymouse blog also quit, but we are supposed to think these are different people.

Some people have noticed the published nastiness of WELS Pastor Joel Lillo on Intrepid Lutherans, also evidenced on Ichabod, and proposed Lillo as the blogger. Lillo seems to adore The CORE, the Church and Money Changers.

The funny thing is - people have proposed about six different names from Appleton as the fake, anonymouse blogger. Church and Change has a deep bench in Fox Valley. I understand there may be a Lutheran pastor or two left. Ron Ash - thy work is not yet finished.

The CORE is known for using Macs, but that does not prove much. Anyone can switch from one to another, and anyone can claim, "I don't own a Mac." WELS pastors are so well schooled in lying that an official denial is almost as good as an affidavit swearing the opposite. Remember Wayne Mueller's "There is no Church Growth in WELS"?
Recall Gurgle telling people "If amalgamation costs more than $8 million, we will pull the plug"?

Most people find it illuminating that WELS Church and Money Changers must hide and lob their stinkbombs in order to combat criticism of their false doctrine.

Bishop Katie
Someone asked, "Where did Bishop Katie go and why?"

She has a blog:

http://cautiouscreative.com/

I did not find much information on it. But now, at least, she has a few more readers.

Katie is promoting another conference: http://www.storychicago.com

The featured speakers are heavily salted with Mars Hill and Willow Creek. Leonard Sweet is speaking.

I forgot to ask Katie to give us the dirt on Dirt.

One syllable conferences are growing in number, probably due to the attention span of the target audience.

Drive and Dirt are OK, but Story is a bit long. I suggest Tale or News.

WELS Church Lady Dreaming

The gay video is back on YouTube
and has always been on Facebook.
The owner could take it down, but there are no objections.
WELS discipline - awesome.

WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "Doctrine Divides - But Let's Not Let a Little Thin...":

Hello all. Sorry for not commenting earlier. It is rather warm in Texas and I have been suffering from delusions. For example, several WELS pastors and layman standing up, in the name of unity, against anti-confessionalism in the synod. Also, I dreamed that I attended the SCD convention. In the dream I spent the better part of twenty minutes speaking to Pastor Matt Doebler. Now why would a 'respectable' church lady be talking to a pastor who doesn't use the name Lutheran in his church title? Worse, the pastor utilizes cell groups, copies sermons, and does not even dress like a real pastor. To really top it off, he was a presenter at a Church and Change conference.

How about a list of nightmares! I had a vision that I viewed the Party In The MLC video. In the comments that follow the video, TWO young boys identified one of the students as his substitute teacher. Do you think that Scott Jungen would have made a video whie he attended DMLC? Like the LCMS, "You can't let a gay issue get in the way of more important projects."

In Christ,
fromWELS church lady

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#
bocubsfan
2 weeks ago
Justin Krause is a 3rd grade teacher at st.marks


mr123mrs321
3 weeks ago
the man called justin krause is a teacher at my school not even lying

#
marblony
6 days ago
dont ever take this down, it has been gone too long

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BestUtuberEver — April 01, 2010 — No I did not create this, just thought it was amazing and should still be on YouTube. Will be taken down if requested by owner.
Category: Comedy
Tags:
Party in the FIP Party in the U.S.A. USA Party in the MLC

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "WELS Church Lady Dreaming":

In case any (W)ELS members find the (W)ELS evangelism video 'Party In The MLC' to be simply harmless and creative remember that it was a parody of the Fire Island Pines 'Party in the Fire Island Pines' sodomy video that used the Cyrus song.

MLC students and faculty were not original but were copying the video and acting of the homosexual men at the Sodomy retreat called the Fire Island Pines.

Romans 1:24-32, Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

(W)ELS is repeating what they have sowed and allowed to be sowed.

Preus-Otten-McCain-Barry

Justification in Rome is not a travelogue. Where is the UOJ?

Norwegian Pietists were hot for UOJ, but Robert Preus finally repudiated it in his last book.

Norman Teigen provided this link about the LCMS wars. The review is from Day Star, not exactly the confessional redoubt of Missouri. Still, it contains plenty of information and some dubious facts. America really favors liberalism, according to the article. That would have surprised Reagan.

I have met or known most of the main characters: Herman Otten, his sister Marie Meyer, David Scaer, Waldo Werning, Carl Hofmeyer, Fred Rutz Sr, Ralph Bohlmann, Al Barry, and that Jesuit Paul McCain.

Otten and his group played politics and won a few battles, losing the war.

The most effective weapon is the Word, which is hardly used. The WELS district meetings will probably be proxy fights, with people hoping everyone gets the hint about what they are saying on the floor or in conversations. It is a mortal sin to be direct in WELS, scaring the apostates half to death. More obviously, it makes them resentful, and they get even.

Meanwhile, it is no sin to copy directly the so-called sermons of Babtists who deny the efficacy of the Word, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, baptismal regeneration, and infant faith. Their attitude toward Holy Communion is the same - denying the Sacrament, denying forgiveness.

This week I am teaching an MA class about plagiarism and copyright laws. When a minister publishes a sermon on the Net or anywhere else, it is copyrighted by default. When another minister copies that sermon, changing a few words, and publishes/preaches it as his own, he is a liar, a thief, and a plagiarist. WELS does absolutely nothing about that.

But dare to question Holy Mother WELS...

ELCA Pro and Con

WELS is against all that ELCA monkeying around, right boys?

Pro ELCA View. Sunny-side Up

Our Grand Canyon Synod (covering the state of Arizona, southern Nevada, and Saint George, Utah,) like the other 64 synods in the ELCA is both of these. It is the coming together of over 70,000 Lutherans in over 100 ELCA congregations. We assemble together once a year. Throughout the year, we seek to walk the same road together -- together supporting numerous ministries in our synod and churchwide expression.

In a similar way, we, as a congregation, are able to do much more when we are “on the way together,” rather than individuals being on the way alone. When we, as a congregation, get behind a mission or goal or project, we can do great things.

However, as I was researching the word synodos, there is also another meaning that, unfortunately, is sometimes true within congregations and within synods. This word is used of two armies “coming together” to do battle.
(Brian at Faith)

Con - ELCA Not Doing So Well, For a Reason
You might need to update your information on the Grand Canyon Synod , Brian. Nine congregations have left, four have split, and four more are considering leaving, with a total of 20,000 members departed since last August, 12,000 of those in five congregations alone. April giving was 165,000 to the synod, one year ago in April it was 240,000. I think 85 congregations with 50,000 members that we know of is more accurate.

I also noted in the giving year to date Faith has given nothing to the synod YTD in 2010. If you are not in dissent with the ELCA, why is that?

Lavender Lutheran Would Be a Good Name

Fave music video at Lavender Lutheran: Party-in-the-MLC.

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
May 20, 2010

ELCA Worshiping Communities Intent about being Welcoming

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- A group of Lutherans in Galena, Ill., worships at a local hotel. Another group in Elk River, Minn., worships at an elementary school. Although in separate locations, both groups have something in common -- they left their primary congregations to start new congregations in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Members of Central Lutheran Church in Elk River, Minn., voted earlier this year to terminate their relationship with the ELCA, but some members there sought to remain in the ELCA and have started their own worshiping community.

"For now we're called Elk River Lutheran. We may undergo a name change, but we had to do something quickly. [GJ - How about Lavender Lutheran?] People started leaving Central," said Richard Spyhalski, president of Elk River Lutheran's steering committee.

The ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission program unit affirmed Elk River Lutheran as an ELCA "new start" in March 2010.

"Elk River is a congregation under development," said the Rev. Susan E. Tjornehoi, director for evangelical mission, ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod.

Tjornehoi said the members of Elk River are passionate about their mission and ministry. "They've gone from no place to bursting at the seams. The depth of their joy, tears of happiness and being the people of God has freed them to gather in community, (engage) in ministry and identify with the ELCA." [GJ - Rev. Susan has a gift for fractured English.]

Elk River Lutheran "intends to be a full-service ELCA congregation," said Spyhalski. "Right off the top" members of the community committed 10 percent of Elk River's budget to support ELCA ministries, said Spyhalski. "We are very brand-loyal." [GJ - How about being Word/Confessions loyal?]

Spyhalski said he joined Central Lutheran in 2007 and became disenchanted with the congregation. "Central had stopped certain ministries like Sunday school, and/or started doing other things, which had caused people to leave the congregation," he said.

"The final straw for me was the congregation's response to the decisions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly," said Spyhalski.

The assembly adopted a social statement on human sexuality and called for revisions to ministry policy documents, making it possible for eligible Lutherans in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender [GJ - aka homosexual, lesbian] relationships to serve as ELCA clergy and professional lay leaders. The ELCA Church Council adopted the revisions to ministry policy documents April 10.

To date less than 2 percent of the ELCA's 10,396 congregations have officially left the denomination, primarily as a result of the assembly's actions.

***

GJ - Offerings are 10-20% down, because many congregations have already impounded offerings that would have gone to ELCA, perhaps sending them to the LCMC, etc. The news release fails to concede that the largest, most established congregations are leaving or considering an exit.

Say It Ain't So, Joe - Moonshine from ELCA Bishop Woolerslime

The bishop's office did not like this light-hearted satire,
though he advanced the Lavender Mafia cause
while denouncing traditionalists.

ALPB Forum:

The latest item on the ELCA News Release is "ELCA Worshiping Communities Intent about being Welcoming" (full story can be found at http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=4528).

It concerns two new worshipping communities, Elk River Lutheran, Elk River, Minnesota, and Lord of Love! Lutheran in Galena, Illinois. Both "worshipping communities" are the result of members leaving a congregation that has voted to leave the ELCA. But wait! It turns out that the Lord of Love folks have left St. Matthew Lutheran in Galena, which has NOT taken any vote to leave the ELCA! Pastor Baltz from St. Matthew Lutheran is quoted in the article as saying, "We had small group discussions after the assembly, and the result of those was that the consensus was that we would take no action to leave the ELCA at this time." However, some folks were unhappy at St. Matthew, so they began their own "worshipping community" with the help of the synod bishop, Rev. Gary Wollersheim, who is quoted as saying, "Our synod council set a goal to be supportive of those who want to stay in the ELCA while their congregations are in the process of leaving."

In other words, the Bishop of the Northern Illinois Synod has helped to organize a "worshipping community" just a few blocks from an established ELCA congregation consisting of disgruntled members of that congregation, even while that established congregation has stated that they have no plans to leave the ELCA, have not taken any vote to leave the ELCA, and continue to be a viable congregation in good standing in the synod. Furthermore, it is the hope that this "worshipping community" may "become a new mission start". For those who are looking for an example of schismatic action, here it is, carried out by a bishop of the ELCA! And lying about the actions of the congregation he is undermining in the process...

There are other troubling things about this news release, but this is so blatant it makes the rest of it seem tame.

Marshall Hahn

***

GJ - This same serpentine bishop organized a group from Faith Lutheran in Moline, called SavingFaith, to oppose the exit from ELCA and to take away the congregation's name. In other words, he did his best to polarize one of his own congregations...twice.

I give Lord of Love five stars for having a suggestive name. What ever happened to the "love that dare not speak its name"? Now it is the love that will not stop yakking.