Matt the Flexible Has Finally Backed Away from the LCMS-WELS-ELS Opioids

 

Matt the Fatt only needed11 million Ichabod views to admit the obvious - the Missouri Synod, like its fetid partners - loves everything except the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace.

Nothing in the Book of Concord teaches Objective Faithless Justification.  

Rick Strickert (Carlvehse) Senior Member Username: Carlvehse Post Number: 11199 Registered: 10-2003

Posted on Friday, September 06, 2024 - 11:55 am:       In 2023 there was a brouhaha over the CTCR/CPH/ChiCom-manufactured LLCACA and President Harrison's diktat for the excommunication purge of the "horrible and racist" "alt-right" teachers of "white supremacy, Nazism, pro-slavery, anti-interracial marriage, women as property, fascism, death for homosexuals, even genocide," who "were at the genesis of a recent controversy surrounding essays" in LLCACA. Some of the essays (and their authors) had been sharply criticized for their non-Lutheran, woketardian, leftist propaganda. As a result, at least two critics were known to have been excommunicated, although one excommunicant was reinstated as a communicant member in another LCMS congregation. Now, in his September 1, 2024, letter, "Give Me ‘Book of Concord’ Lutheranism," President Harrison seems to have backpedaled ever so slightly (and perhaps even taken a swipe at some hyper-ritualist blog postings) when he stated: quote: Give me Book of Concord Lutheranism! Book of Concord Lutheranism does not need to be supplemented. It cannot be supplemented with modernism or post-modernism without subtraction. It doesn’t need Anglicanism (apostolic succession, broad church latitude in doctrine, ambiguity in its public confession of Christ in the Sacrament). It doesn’t need Roman Catholicism (a pope, episcopal order, dogma of tradition, seven sacraments, obscure liturgical intricacies or splendorous vestments). It doesn’t need to be supplemented by pop evangelical, what’s-happening-now, wandering, skinny-jeaned, unvested preachers. It doesn’t need Eastern Orthodoxy (dogma of the authority of the church fathers and seven ecumenical councils, much less infant or toddler Communion).

This Mark and Avoid Jeske Photoshop honors the Big Five plus other toxins, like Leonard Sweet, below, patron saint of Lutheran goofballs.

CPH's 400 page "Small" Catechism advises teachers to soft-pedal Objective Faithless Justification. Luther's own Small Catechism teaches Justification by Faith.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 15 - "Each one means to carry out his affairs without God, to oppress and choke whosoever would hinder him, and rather to throw all things higgledy-piggledy on a heap than to desist from his mind. Thereby in all affairs and governments all good things perish and naught but evil grows; as all history and daily experience more than amply show."

 

Complete Sermon ->FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

46. This he would gladly still do, if the world could or would haply for its own good follow the well-meant advice which he here gives, and not with unbelief, greed and unchristianlike scheming rage against his Word, to its own harm and ruin. So must he turn this Word with her and prove the contrary; that he who will not strive after God’s kingdom and his righteousness, but despises the same and reckons to provide for himself, against God’s will, by means of his own wisdom and plotting, must be deprived both of the eternal and of the temporal, and either not obtain the temporal or at least not be satisfied and happy with it. “Be not therefore anxious for the morrow; for the morrow will be anxious for itself Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

47. The world is always anxious about the future, and therewith thinks to assure its fate and to bring this much about that it may be removed from danger, protect and support itself. They see not the vanity thereof, and that their projects go wrong; that it be true, and experience testifies, as Christ here says, that each day brings its own misfortune and evil. Thus it comes to pass that, with such plottings and prudence of their own, whereby they mean to ensure themselves and to forestall all coming danger, the world only causes the more woe and harm. For whenever they see that things do not go as they expected, or that an accident happens, then they begin to despond, think of one remedy and another, and imagine they must, wherever and as best they can, look for help, protection and safety; thus they patch for themselves and think to help matters by all sorts of strange craftiness and practices, whereunto they are driven by unbelief, against God and their conscience, thus to carry out what they have in mind, albeit they see that God does not prosper such things. Hence springs so much misfortune, misery, murder, war, and all mischief and misdoing of the wicked world. Each one means to carry out his affairs without God, to oppress and choke whosoever would hinder him, and rather to throw all things higgledy-piggledy on a heap than to desist from his mind. Thereby in all affairs and governments all good things perish and naught but evil grows; as all history and daily experience more than amply show.

48. Against this Christ would caution his believers, that they may not waver nor stake their affairs on that which is uncertain, vainly caring for the future, but at all times and daily do that which is right; that they may not worry how things will come out, nor permit themselves to be swerved by future and uncertain good or evil things; but rather commend care to God, and then take everything that occurs to them in good part and overcome it with faith and patience. For it cannot be on earth otherwise than that each one daily in his office, estate and calling meet with other things than he gladly welcomes, which causes him much trouble and labor.

Hence does also Christ call this life daily evil or misfortune, that is to say, all sorts of misfortune, resistance, hindrance; that we may know it and be prepared for it, so as not to be frightened by any of them from doing good, neither yet to hanker after the world and become partakers in its unrighteous and evil affairs, — thereby leading ourselves and others into ruin and damnation.

The Train-Wrecks of Lutherdom

 

ELCA continues to be the star train-wreck, consuming the LCA, ALC, AELC, which are the ULCA, the Augustana Synod, various Norwegian Synods, and a cancerous lump of the LCMS.

This reminds everyone of Matt the Fatt's incredible feat of electrifying his sect over a bogus charge against a layman, dangling his train mid-air so no one faces the meltdown of the LCMS education system.

WELS is very old, a rust-bucket of second-rate teachers chanting the same old nonsense, protecting the criminal element of clergy and the incompetence of professors. When WELS clergy are imprisoned, "It never happened."

The ELS train polished the saintly image of Marvin Schwan, who now has a sales robot named after him - Marvin. The Little Norwegians, adamant on the dogma of Objective Faithless Justification, exploited adultery in order to build shiny new, soon-to-be-empty buildings. Wisconsin Lutheran College got its share too. Never say "ELLS" and never admit knowing that Forbes published the truth. As one ELLS pastor stated, "Nobody reads Forbes!" Who ran around his sect saying that I put the Forbes article in Christian News? Yes, I thought the matter was too much like Walther covering up for Stephan and starting a riot to grab Stephan's land, money, and title. As one Lutheran said succinctly - "When the Stephan ships landed in New Orleans, a bishop (Stephan) and a pope (Walther) arrived - both heretics.

The Church of the Lutheran Confession...pause to weep with laughter over the name...has one great advantage. They are so deep into their inbred lines that students ask each other, "How are you related to me."

This very special train-wreck is dedicated to the addicts who must have their dreams, their visions, their DMins from Fuller Seminary, their Church Growth Principles. The train represents the thrill of almost being there, if they could only squeeze more money from Thrivent, the Schwan Foundation, and other venereal disorders. "He has gone too far!" said one seminary president. But the insiders know that the Four Waltherian Sects are founded upon Bishop Martin Stephan's syphilis, Pietistic dogma, and Walther's servile covering up the plague, until he could use it to take over.

Reformation Seminary - John 4 KJV - The Samaritan Woman at the Well

YouTube

4 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

The Synods Have Been Weighed in the Balances and Found Wanting

 

Not a debate but a debacle.

 Wayne Mueller at the helm.

Dress for success church picnic.

Our Great Calvinist Heritage should be the title of this Book of Concord rebuttal.

One of the many strange perversions in The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) - is their merger in the name of Faithless Justification, which sounds eerily like Unitarian-Universalism, whose adherents are called U-U's. The Calvinists always drift into Unitarianism or Universalism - or both.

Mergers are the cowards' way of adding one plus one to get 1.2. Ask Thrivent, which was birthed from the unholy wombs of AAL and Lutheran Brotherhood. I was on the scent of UUA when I found that the precious Graduate Theological Union was shedding denominations in their fumbling, bumbling corporation (carperation in St. Louis Irish lingo).

U-Us dropped out of this corrupt gathering of dunderheads - due to costs and lack of interest. 

The famous Megan Rohrer attended the Graduate Theological Union.

Member seminaries, academic centers, and affiliates

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Consortial seminaries

[edit]

• Berkeley School of Theology (American Baptist Churches USA)
• Church Divinity School of the Pacific (Episcopal)
• Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
• Institute of Buddhist Studies
• Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University
• Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (ELCA)
• Pacific School of Religion (United Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, and United Methodist Church)
• San Francisco Theological Seminary (Presbyterian Church (USA))

Academic centers and affiliates

[edit]

• Center for the Arts and Religion^[5]
• Center for Islamic Studies^[6]
• Center for Swedenborgian Studies^[7]
• Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences^[8]
• Mira & Ajay Shingal Center for Dharma Studies^[9]
• New College Berkeley
• Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute^[10]
• Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies^[11]
• Newbigin House of Studies^[12]
• Wilmette Institute^[13]

 

Little Charlie Sue - Her Love, Work, and Glee

 

I can see the happy wall display from my desk.

Charlie Sue, the Patterdale Terrier with a dash of Chihuahua, goes to work before the sun is up. If anyone wonders why I post early most of the time, Charlie is the alarm clock. She never needs winding.

Her first action is to pose for breakfast. That means I make coffee or tea and find her standing at attention to remind me of my duties. Her "oo-wee" is accompanied by her ears straight up for attention, assuming the best. If not, she drops her ears to show how disappointed she is. The sound of Science Diet makes her jump around and lead me to her eating spot. If there is any delay, her sounds of despair remind me of her duty.

Yesterday she slipped out the front door, leading the two of us to imagine the other person let her out. The Doggie Day Care manager came over to give Charlie Sue back to us. That was so much fun - for Charlie - that she did two other explorations and ran back gleefully, grinning about finding new scents and dog friends.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 15 - "Is he not your father, and only your father — not the birds’, the geese’ or ducks’, nor the godless heathens’ father! Then trust him to be so loving that he will as a father care for you and neither forget nor leave you; aye, that he has long before known what he should give you, and has provided therefor ere you yourselves think of it or feel your wants."

 

Complete Sermon ->FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

41. Still more strongly does he speak to them by saying: “After all these things do the Gentiles seek” etc. This ought surely to deter a Christian, when he hears the public and terrible verdict spoken that those who worry and hanker after mammon are heathen, that is, people who really have no God; who, instead of God, serve mammon, in which there is only God’s name and naught but lies and vanity; who therefore are wholly cut off from God, deprived of all divine knowledge, comfort, grace and bliss. These are none other than the most miserable, most unfortunate, condemned people, who have never any salvation or comfort to hope for.

42. Here you see the world pictured, what sort of a thing it is, namely the big, mighty crowd — excepting a very few Christians — who, as soon as they have grown up, turn altogether away from God and serve mammon, the god of lies. Him do they hold as the great, aye, the only god, because the crowd that follows him is so great; nevertheless he is nothing, a mere powerless name. So a Christian should truly be horrified and shocked, when thinking of such blindness and misery of the world; he should with sighs and tears strive and work for it to be far removed from such shameful practices, and run from it, as run he can, as it were out of a fire, aye, out of the midst of hell.

43. Thirdly, in order in the most loving and comforting way to entice us to believe he again says: “Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” Is he not your father, and only your father — not the birds’, the geese’ or ducks’, nor the godless heathens’ father! Then trust him to be so loving that he will as a father care for you and neither forget nor leave you; aye, that he has long before known what he should give you, and has provided therefor ere you yourselves think of it or feel your wants.

For who but he has before known or thought what you would be or need, ere you were born into this world? Therefore honor him so far as to believe that he sees and knows such things and, knowing them, will act with you as a father. “But seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

44. That is the chief passage in this sermon, and states the right rule and manner how we are to proceed in order to get both the divine or eternal gift, and what we need for this life. Would you rightly and well take care whereof it behooves you to take care, then let this be the first, aye, indeed, your only care, that you strive according to God’s Word to do your duty, to serve him in his kingdom as his Word teaches you — for in this consists the righteousness belonging to this kingdom — and to prize this more highly than all pertaining unto this temporal life.

If you do this you have done and provided well and need not take any further burdens upon you nor cherish any cares in your heart; indeed, it should be much too small a thing for you to care for so slight a matter as the wants of your belly, and therefore to aggrieve yourselves. Rather do this for the honor of God, and furthermore for your own use and benefit, that you strive after the great and eternal good; which if you attain and keep, the rest will surely take care of itself. Neither can you in any better way arrive at obtaining it from God, than in this wise that you first seek and ask of him the great things.

 Norma A. Boeckler

45. For this is to his liking, that we ask great things of him, and that he be able to give great and many things. And for the reason that he gladly gives great things, he will also not stint the small things, but throw them to boot into the bargain. This God has constantly caused many pious people to experience, who, following this rule and precept, have striven to help in building God’s kingdom, have served the church, furthered God’s Word, and given thereto of their means. He then on the other hand has richly blessed them with goods, honor, etc. This is evidenced by the old examples not only of the Scriptures, but also by the history of some of our pious kings and princes, who, first having given plentifully for parishes and pulpits, for the support of the holy ministry and for schools, have thereby not become poorer, but were much more richly blessed and endowed by God, so that they have reigned in good peace, with victory and good fortune.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 15 - "This he admonishes them to believe; and to impress them most strongly with it, not by many but by earnest words, he suddenly breaks off after having held up to them the examples from daily life and God’s work among his Creatures; and closes with these words: Shall he not much more do such things for you, O ye of little faith?"

 

First Lutheran Church in Moline, Illinois.

Complete Sermon ->FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

37. As I said at the beginning Christ delivered this sermon to his Christians, especially to those in the office of the ministry or to those who otherwise either had nothing or never could acquire and gather for themselves riches and mammon, as the rest of the world does; in order that they might know, from what source they could nourish and support themselves and their families. Yea, they are compelled to live in the danger of being robbed of the little earthly goods God gave them and thus they are without the least doubt compelled to live entirely upon the help that God sends them and they expect from him, since the world gives them nothing.

38. This is indeed painful to flesh and blood, and is very burdensome to them, yea, no one can bear or do it, unless he is a believing Christian. For the world is so disposed that it will not take the least risk in temporal matters for the future; but it must be sure of them, order beforehand and have in store and ready for use whatever it needs, as food, peace, protection and insurance, so that it can live and depend upon neither God nor the people; but as it is evident that the world enriches no one because of his faith and piety, they think they must act and live as others do, in order that they may nevertheless have also something.

39. Against this he herewith comforts and strengthens his Christians, and again repeats: They shall therefore not worry nor doubt nor wriggle in such unbelief, saying: Oh, what is to become of us? Who is going to give us anything? Where in this world are we Christians to get food, protection, peace? But they must know that their heavenly Father provides for this, and will also give it to them, he who for this very reason is called their Father (not the unbelievers’, although he feeds all the world, and gives everything), in order to show that he will also not leave his children, tie leads them into God’s high work of the whole creation, that they may see how he nourishes and supports all things which he creates, after having ordered and regulated each one, — also all the birds in the air, which, as you know, do not fret about their food nor know beforehand whither they shall take it. Aye, especially also the little flowers does he so deck and adorn that such beauty and finery might more fittingly be supplied elsewhere; for does it not seem quite useless, since they only bloom for perchance a day? Must he not therefore much more think and care for his Christians, how they may be fed and clad, and where they might dwell and stay as long as they have to live on earth?

40. This he admonishes them to believe; and to impress them most strongly with it, not by many but by earnest words, he suddenly breaks off after having held up to them the examples from daily life and God’s work among his Creatures; and closes with these words: Shall he not much more do such things for you, O ye of little faith? He wishes to say: Well, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves, if you are Christians and know that you have a Father in heaven, to let me do so much preaching about this! Yes, ashamed you ought to be, and not permit that such things be said of you.

Back to the Basics - Vegetables and Fruit versus Prescriptions

 

My first birthday included a cake.

By the age of 4 I was helping the family business.

I am not against prescriptions, but nutrition studies - and my experience - have convinced me that people are being hornswaggled by the gubmint, the pharmaceutical giants, and the physicians. Those three entities inflate the cost and the use of prescriptions.

The fats-sugars-salt diet leads to diabetes and heart disease (which includes blood pressure, poor circulation, and stroke). 

People can eliminate or diminish a lot of symptoms by removing the expensive foods with little value, replacing them with greens, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Assuming that my highest weight was 225 pounds, the gradual weight loss has gone down 46 pounds. 

All the blood test results have improved with the loss of junk food (aka fastfoods, desserts, candy, and frozen dinners). The previous two doctors were shocked at the results - neither one had heard the name of Joel Fuhrman M.D. I will give How Not To Die by Michael Greger M.D. at my next appointment. Greger has also written How Not To Diet.

If I were a real doctor, I would have everyone gradually lessen the favorite foods that have almost no nutrition but lots of remedies from our Creator. 

The trademark diet plans are a joke. But worse - The self-denying promise to stop given addictive foods all at once is bound to build up a tremendous craving for that faux-sacrifice, which ends in a gain. Do not ask me how I know.

Here is one effective medicine that is inexpensive, fresh, juicy, delicious, sweet, and loaded with nutrition - the apple. Not apple pie (with ice cream or whipped cream) or apple juice (pure sugar) or apple turnovers, or apple tarts. Add fresh pineapples to that load of quality apples. It is better than dessert - and I am an expert - just in the way those and other fruits satisfy everyone's appetite.

Instead of supper, I eat two big apples with a handful of walnuts. I may have two more apples (4, yes! 4) for the day, but also other fruits.

Furhman and my parents said the same thing - eat good foods and get used to them. We went for donuts, cookies, apple pie with whipped cream, and candy on the side. 

I gave a dear relative a monthly supply of various fruits. I tried that for six months and gave them 12 months. The idea was to have delicious, exotic fruits start a new hobby - and it worked for both households. 

My daily lunch meal is shared with Charlie Sue. It includes a lot of blueberries, walnuts, spinach and kale, tomato paste, peas, broccoli, onions and peppers, and chick-peas. We share a smoked sausage. Breakfast and supper are for various fruits.

My vegetable consultant encouraged me to get a collection of large containers of spices, and I add samples to the Creation Super Stew described above. I especially like cumin, allspice, curry, cardamom, turmeric (a ginger), and mustard. I keep trying out stew variations (including sausage).

Ironically, I have been watching streaming videos about the great giants in food in America. Enormous fortunes have been made with soft ice cream, pizza, popsicles, hamburgers, hotdogs, fried chicken, and corn flakes. Most of the brand names come from the originator.

Health Benefits of Apples.

Health Benefits of Fresh Pineapples.

Reformation Seminary - John 3:22ff

 YouTube

John 3:22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison. 25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Protestia - Methodists Catching Up with The Big Faithless Five - LCMS-ELS-ELCA-WELS-CLC (sic)

 

"Oliveto’s successor, Kristin Stoneking, also a married lesbian, seems entirely in lockstep with her predecessor’s radical progressivism. At PSR, which styles itself as a “progressive Christian seminary,” Stoneking wrote an op-ed hailing the 2024 General Conference as an example for other denominations to follow. Stoneking also welcomed the UMC’s retreat from traditional Christian ministry and transformation into a “large, non-governmental institution.” In an interview with her conference, Stoneking followed Oliveto in describing the Traditional Plan as a moment of “deep despair.”

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Famed UMC Bishop, Who Denied the Divinity of Christ For Years, Retires On Her Own Terms

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Faith Church is a non-denominational ‘word of faith’ church in St. Louis, MO. Led by pastor and pastrix duo David and Nicole Crank, they claim “18,000 members across eight campuses in Missouri, Illinois, and Florida” and have the ethos of your typical “You’re-David-and-here-are seven-life-tips-to-help-you-kill-your-Goliath-of-debt” kind of church.

Megachurch Pastor’s Wife Charging $16,999 To Be Part of Her ‘Inner Circle’+ ‘Private Text Access’

Daily Lutheran Sermon Quote - Trinity 15 - "As I said at the beginning Christ delivered this sermon to his Christians, especially to those in the office of the ministry or to those who otherwise either had nothing or never could acquire and gather for themselves riches and mammon, as the rest of the world does; in order that they might know, from what source they could nourish and support themselves and their families."

 

Complete Sermon ->FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

5. God cannot allow us to have another Lord besides himself. He is a jealous God, as he says, and cannot suffer us to serve him and his enemy.

We find very few, who do not sin against the Gospel. The Lord passes a severe judgment and it is terrible to hear, that he should say this of us; and yet no one will confess, yea, no one will suffer it to be said that we hate and despise God, and that we are his enemies. There is no one, when asked if he loves God and cleaves to him, who would not reply: Dost thou take me to be such a desperate character as to be an enemy of God? But see how the text here closes, that we all hate and despise God, and love and cleave to mammon. For it is impossible that he, who loves gold and riches and cleaves to them, should not hate God. Christ here holds the two opposed to one another and as enemies, and says: If you love one of these two and cleave to the same, then you must hate and despise the other.

However well a man may live here upon the earth, if he clings to riches it cannot be otherwise than that he must hate God. And whoever does not trust in gold and worldly riches, loves God. This is certain.

37. As I said at the beginning Christ delivered this sermon to his Christians, especially to those in the office of the ministry or to those who otherwise either had nothing or never could acquire and gather for themselves riches and mammon, as the rest of the world does; in order that they might know, from what source they could nourish and support themselves and their families. Yea, they are compelled to live in the danger of being robbed of the little earthly goods God gave them and thus they are without the least doubt compelled to live entirely upon the help that God sends them and they expect from him, since the world gives them nothing.

38. This is indeed painful to flesh and blood, and is very burdensome to them, yea, no one can bear or do it, unless he is a believing Christian. For the world is so disposed that it will not take the least risk in temporal matters for the future; but it must be sure of them, order beforehand and have in store and ready for use whatever it needs, as food, peace, protection and insurance, so that it can live and depend upon neither God nor the people; but as it is evident that the world enriches no one because of his faith and piety, they think they must act and live as others do, in order that they may nevertheless have also something.

What LCMS College Is Next? - "The Bronxville, New York campus was one of four in the Lutheran Concordia College system to close in the space of eight years."

 

"I already closed one LCMS college. I'm a pro!" [Just joking.]

'Things we want to get done:' CLU interim president readies for fundamental changes

Board Chair Ann Boynton said CLU's regents were drawn to Nunes' pastoral reputation and "incredibly broad" experience — including tenures as president and CEO of the nonprofit Lutheran World Relief and president of Concordia College in New York until its closure in 2021.

The Bronxville, New York campus was one of four in the Lutheran Concordia College system to close in the space of eight years. Nunes told Inside Higher Ed at the time of the closure's announcement in January 2021 that the decision was preemptive, avoiding both a "precipitous close" or a "long, lingering threadbare existence."

ELCA seminaries once were plums. Now they are prunes turning into raisins.
LSTC is now renting one floor of a Catholic building.

The failing seminaries limping into the future.

"In an era marked by a rapidly changing religious landscape, mainline seminaries are evolving to prepare future church leaders for new challenges and opportunities. In a groundbreaking collaboration, the Presidents of McCormick Theological Seminary, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), and the Catholic Theological Union are pioneering a transformative approach to theological education.

President James Nieman of LSTC, alongside his counterparts, has been featured on the show “Sanctuary,” where they discuss this innovative partnership and its implications for the future of theological education. This episode highlights the collaborative efforts of these three Chicago seminaries to adapt their curricula and programs to better serve their communities and fulfill God’s mission.

During the show, President Nieman emphasized the role of technological innovation in shaping the future of seminary education. He alluded to LSTC’s new initiative, Project Starling, as a key example of how the seminary is planning to leverage technology to enhance learning experiences and accessibility. Project Starling aims to integrate advanced technological tools and online learning platforms to support a more flexible and inclusive educational environment for theological students.

President Nieman’s insights on the evolving role of seminaries in today’s society provide a unique perspective on how these institutions are preparing the next generation of faith leaders. The conversation underscores the importance of unity and cooperation among diverse theological traditions to address common challenges and seize new opportunities (sic).To watch the full discussion, visit this link."

Who's sorry now? 
LSTC merged six seminaries - plus McCormick - but they were so broke they had to sell to the U. of Chicago and waddle over to the Catholic Theological Union, yet another merger of angel factories.

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